Describe Münsterberg’s contributions to forensic psychology.
Psychology of forensics deals with law and psychology. Munsterberg documented articles in magazine on topics like prevention of crime, utilizing hypnosis for questioning suspects and administering tests of mind for detecting guilty and the trustworthiness which was questionable and testimony of eyewitness.
He specifically was inclined to the latter-the frailty of perception of humans in looking at an event which is criminal and eventually describing it. He performed research on crimes that were simulated where witnesses were questioned simultaneously after looking at the crime for describing what actually happened.
The subjects did not agree with the detail, even with the scene remained fresh in their mind and memory. Munsterberg questioned how precise a testimony like this would be in the courtroom when the event which was under discussion might have occurred several months ago.
In the year of 1908, Munsterberg published “On the Witness Stand” that described the factors of psychology affecting the outcome of the trial. These comprise confessions which are false, the strength of suggestion in the witnesses’ cross-examinations, and the usage of measurements of physiology.
The book got printed again in the year of 1976, because of a comeback of interest in problems raised by Munsterberg. The society of Psychology-Law of America was developed during the time to advocate applied and basic research on psychology of forensics.