Forensic psychology is at the intersection of psychology and law and focuses on the assessment and treatment of individuals who have come into contact with the legal system. Verschuere’s chair will focus on how scientific insights contribute to more informed decisions in the legal context.

‘Together with students, I’m currently researching how courts assess the credibility of victim impact statements. For example, a phrase that is sometimes used is “makes an authentic impression”. What does that mean, exactly? We know from psychological research that such gut feelings have little predictive value. A key objective of my research is to expose weaknesses in these types of existing procedures.’

Science-based legal system

Verschuere will develop methods that contribute to a more science-based legal system. ‘When a judge has reached the limit of their knowledge, a behavioural expert is called in to give them advice. Research shows that forensic psychologists continue to be keenly aware of the potential for error and need more tools or guidelines.’

Repeatability of research

In addition, Verschuere argues for transparency and repeatability of research to make findings more reliable. ‘A review of literature on false memories showed that only 3% of the 388 publications were repeat studies. As an advocate of open science, I’d like to use this chair to contribute to raising the quality of research in the fields of forensic psychology and legal psychology. Let’s redo key findings before building on them.’

Bridging the gap between science and practice

In addition to his academic work, Verschuere has extensive experience working with partners from the field, including the Ministry of Justice and Security, forensic care institutions and numerous research centres. He hopes to use his appointment as professor of Forensic Psychology to strengthen these partnerships and develop new initiatives to bridge the gap between science and practice.

The inaugural lecture of Bruno Verschuere will take place later this year.