Investigative Psychology
Definition
David Canter's empirically grounded approach to behavioural analysis, using multivariate statistical methods and systematic case comparison rather than clinical inference from interview-based offender typologies.
- Founder
- David Canter
- Key method
- Multivariate statistical analysis and systematic case comparison
- Coverage areas
- Eyewitness testimony, interrogation, offender profiling, geographic profiling
Common questions
What makes investigative psychology different from other profiling methods?+
Investigative psychology relies on multivariate statistical methods and systematic case comparison rather than clinical judgment. It was developed by David Canter as an empirically grounded alternative to interview-based typologies, using data analysis to link offender behavior patterns to investigative clues.
What topics does investigative psychology cover in criminal cases?+
It applies psychological research across multiple investigation domains. This includes analyzing eyewitness testimony accuracy, understanding interrogation dynamics, conducting offender profiling based on behavioral evidence, and geographic profiling to map crime locations.
Where did investigative psychology originate?+
The approach developed at the Liverpool school under David Canter, who created an empirical framework that contrasts with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit methods. It emphasizes systematic comparison of case data over clinical inference alone.
Related terms
- ANZAPPL
- Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, the primary regional professional society for forensic mental health practitioners.
- AP-LS
- American Psychology-Law Society, APA Division 41, the primary US professional society for forensic psychology, publisher of Law and Human Behavior.
- APA Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology
- The 2013 APA document setting professional and ethical standards for forensic psychologists in the US across eleven sections covering responsibilities, competence, relationships,...
- Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU)
- The FBI unit, descended from the BSU, that provides behavioural evidence analysis support to homicide, sexual assault, terrorism, and threat-assessment investigations in...
- BPS Division of Forensic Psychology
- The British Psychological Society division that accredits forensic psychology training and awards Chartered Forensic Psychologist status in the UK.
- Clinical Forensic Psychology
- The branch of forensic psychology concerned with individual-level assessment for court purposes, including competency evaluations, insanity assessments, and violence risk assessment.
- Criminal Investigative Analysis (CIA)
- The FBI BSU's formal method for profiling unknown offenders from crime-scene evidence, involving a structured analytical process that produces an offender description...
- Daubert Standard
- The US federal evidentiary standard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1993) requiring that expert testimony be based on scientifically valid methods with...
- ENFSI IP Working Group
- The European Network of Forensic Science Institutes Investigative Psychology Working Group, which sets standards for behavioural analysis practice across EU member states,...
- Equivocal Forensic Analysis
- The first stage of Behavioral Evidence Analysis (BEA), in which the analyst reviews all physical evidence without assumption about the offender to...
- Forensic Psychology
- The application of psychological science to questions arising in legal, criminal justice, and public policy contexts, spanning clinical assessment, investigative practice, and...
- Frye Standard
- The US legal test for admissibility of scientific evidence, originating from Frye v. United States (1923), which required that a technique be...
Explained in these topics
- Forensic Psychology: Foundations, History and ScopeThe branch applying psychological research to criminal investigation, including eyewitness testimony, interrogation, offender profiling, and geographic profili...
- Offender Profiling: FBI BSU vs Canter Investigative PsychologyDavid Canter's empirically grounded approach to behavioural analysis, using multivariate statistical methods and systematic case comparison rather than clinica...