Loftus, E. L. (1993).  The reality of repressed memories.  American Psychologist, 48, 518-537.

   One of the most debated topics in psychology over the past years has been the existence (or not) of repressed
memories.  Though not limited to the forensic domain, repressed memories and the possibility of false memories
has major implications on the court room.  Loftus (1993) has put together a fantastic review of the literature.  After
reading this article you will have a comprehensive understanding of the issues and where the science is taking us in
relation to them.

    Rosenhan, D. L. (1973).  On being sane in insane places.  Science, 179, 250-258.

    As a forensic psychologist (or any type of clinical psychologist for that matter) one will have to do make a great
deal of clinical assessments and observations.  All of us should be aware of how are expectations about a client can
effect the way that we see them, often seeing something that is not even there.  Rosenhan (1973) showed this
problem in a quite unique (and ethically much debated form) way.  His graduate students went to psychiatric
hospitals and complained of hearing voices.  They reported no other symptoms.  All of them were admitted as
schizophrenics.  As soon as admission occurred they all ceased to display any schizophrenic behaviours.  However,
they were not released from their respective hospitals.  Staying confined for on average 19 days (one over 50 days)
and at the same time being administered over 2000 pills.  When released no one even thought to question the
diagnosis.  They were discharged as Schizophrenics in remission.  During there stay relatively normal behaviours
(i.e. taking notes, standing in line for food) were all seen as symptoms of their disorder.  The hospital staff were
seeing everything through the eyes of the incorrect diagnosis.  This article provides a number of questions about
the diagnosis/assessment process that we all should be aware of and hope to avoid of.  The funny thing about the
whole situation was that the other psychiatric clients figured out that the grad students were doing a study of some
sort.