You are on the website of the Department of Social and Legal Psychology. Here you can get to know everyone who works in the Department of Social and Legal Psychology.

Department responsibilities
The department teaches Social Psychology and Legal Psychology subjects in the bachelor’s program of study.
The master’s program of study offers a specialization in legal psychology with practical relevance.
Additionally, there are courses from the Center for Interdisciplinary Forensics (ZIF).
Students can obtain a ZIF certificate if they attend seminars in legal psychology, criminology, law, and forensic psychiatry.

  • The department teaches social psychology (module F) and legal psychology (elective modules L, M, R).
  • Legal psychology examinations:
    • L-module: written, 60 minutes, open questions.
    • M- and R-module: oral, 20 minutes, optional self-introduction (2 min).

Legal psychology – What is it?
Legal psychology means: Psychology is applied to legal issues.
It concerns, for example:

  • Causes and prevention of crime
  • Resocialization of offenders
  • Understanding judges’ decision-making processes
  • Support for victims and vulnerable witnesses
  • Identifying child endangerment
  • Psychological evaluations in court (credibility, criminal responsibility)

Legal psychology combines basic research with practical work and cooperates with law, criminology, psychiatry, sociology, and education.

Career opportunities

  • Court evaluations (family law, criminal law, credibility)
  • Work in correctional facilities or forensic institutions
  • Victim support
  • Police psychology (e.g., hostage negotiations, operational planning, selection of personnel)
  • Research at universities or institutes
  • Commenced in winter semester 2020/21.
  • Structure: Statistics, diagnostics, clinical psychology, core subject, minor subject, internship, applied subject + specialization in legal psychology.
  • Focus: Criminal law & family law, research, ethical and professional reflection.
  • Practical application: Case seminar (evaluations, treatment plans, evaluations) and two-semester project work (from research question to evaluation).
  • Content can be credited towards the continuing education ‘Specialist Psychologist for Legal Psychology’.

Prerequisites

  • Bachelor of psychology
  • Interest in legal psychology
  • Basic knowledge in Legal Psychology (through program of study or self-study, e.g., Textbook of Legal Psychology).

Team

Examples of research topics

  • Lie detection
  • Anti-aggression training
  • Criminal prognosis
  • Stigmatization of sexual interests
  • Psychological processes in evaluations

Network
Part of the Center for Interdisciplinary Forensics (psychology, law, criminology, forensic psychiatry).

The Department of Social and Legal Psychology primarily researches social cognition.
This means: We investigate how people categorize other individuals or groups, how stereotypes emerge, and how such perceptions impact behavior.
An example: We research how belief in conspiracy theories influences health-related behavior.
We use modern research methods and also apply them to topics such as sexology, political psychology, and interpersonal relationships.

If you click on the names, you will be taken to the individual pages and can find further information.