Psychology and Policing

Applied psychology has become increasingly important in the work of policing, police training and the academic study of policing. This book provides a highly accessible account of the way in which psychological principles and practices are applied to policing, reflecting the increasing attention being given to this area in the light of recent concerns about police training and its effectiveness - for example the MacPherson report. The book sets out the main areas of applied psychology which have particular relevance for policing, looking at how these impact in practice on police work - retrieving information, interviewing suspects, understanding crime patterns and profiling offenders, and negotiation and hostage taking. The author concludes with an assessment of the usefulness of psychology in police work, and the pitfalls and problems which arise with its use.

Peter B. Ainsworth is Lecturerin the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Manchester University. He has written extensively in the field of forensic psychology.

Introduction  1. Person perception and interpersonal skills  2. Attribution, prejudice and stereotyping  3. Recruitment and training  4. Aggression and violence  5. Perception and memory  6. Retrieving information  7. Interviewing suspects  8. Stress and policing  9. Understanding crime patterns and profiling offenders  10. Negotiation and hostage taking  Conclusions