Oral Presentation: Forensic psychology myths and misconceptions acceptance among police students and university students in Finland

Title: Forensic psychology myths and misconceptions acceptance among police students and university students in Finland

Abstract:

The presentation aims to introduce results from a study exploring the prevalence of misconceptions related to forensic psychology among Finnish police students and university students and whether the prevalence was associated with the stage of studies and/or taking courses in forensic psychology and criminology.  Psychology students (n = 149), police students (n = 119) and students from educational sciences (n = 68) responded to a 33-item questionnaire assessing misconceptions and beliefs related to forensic psychology (including e.g., lying, criminal profiling, sexual crimes, memory). The overall misconception acceptance rate was 25%, police students holding the highest rate (33%) and the psychology students the lowest rate (19%). Misconceptions related to repressed memories were alarmingly common in all groups. Also, 65% of the police students believed that trained professionals such as judges and police officers are good at detecting lying. The longer the psychology students and the police students had studied the more they held correct beliefs. Interestingly, among the police students the number of misconceptions was not associated with the stage of studies. Taking forensic psychology and criminology courses was associated with holding more correct beliefs. Implications for investigative interviewing practice are discussed.