A broad definition of forensic psychology is any intersection between psychology and the law. A narrower definition of forensic psychology is the intersections of applied psychology (clinical, counseling, or school) and the law (and especially psychological evaluations to inform legal decision-making). Relatedly, mental health law concerns what the law says and directs about the bearing of psychological functioning on criminal, civil, and family law matters.
My research lab uses psychological science to study issues pertaining to the narrower definition of forensic psychology, and most typically criminal and juvenile justice law rather than civil or family law. My lab also studies forensic psychology topics from a legal perspective, using traditional legal research strategies in addition to approaches that blend traditional legal research strategies with empirical strategies.
My current directions within these research themes are as follows.
- Law and practice concerning forensic psychological testing.
- Law and practice concerning hybrid psychological–legal concepts for evaluation.
Recent representative publications
King, C. M., Bomysoad, R., Hitchcock, S., Vora, S., Ossai, C., & Cuellar, S. (2026). Legal foundations and backdrop. In L. C. Malloy, R. K. Helm, & T. Zottoli (Eds.), Confessions and guilty pleas of youth: Developmental science and practical implications. APA Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000495-001
Heilbrun, K., & King, C. M. (2026). Evaluation of risk for violence in adults (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197812815.001.0001
Heilbrun, K., King, C. M., & Slobogin, C. (2024). Insanity and diminished capacity: Scientific status. In D. Faigman, J. Blumenthal, E. Cheng, J. Mnookin, E. Murphy, J. Sanders, & C. Slobogin (Eds.), Modern scientific evidence: The law and science of expert testimony (2024–2025 ed.). West.
de Ruiter, C., Giromini, L., Meyer, G. J., King, C. M., & Rubin, B. A. (2023). Clarifying sound and suspect use of the Rorschach in forensic mental health evaluations: A Response to Areh et al. (2022). Psychological Injury and Law, 16(2), 158–176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-023-09472-6
King, C. M., & Grove, L. (2023). Waiver to adult court. In R. Roesch (Vol. Ed.), Psychology and law, a volume of Routledge encyclopedia of psychology in the real world. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367198459-reprw226-1
King, C. M., Grove, L., Hitchcock, S., Gonzalez, K., Palardy, A., & Guevara, N. (2023). Forensic mental health assessments in juvenile justice contexts. In D. DeMatteo & K. Scherr (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of psychology and law (pp. 273–288). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197649138.013.16
King, C. M., Grove, L., Bomysoad, R., & Gonzalez, K. (2022). Assessment and intervention technologies in juvenile justice. In G. Liell, L. Jones, & M. Fisher (Eds.), Challenging bias in forensic psychological assessment and testing (pp. 158–175). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003230977-10
King, C. M., Kelley, S., Grove, L., & Stettler, B. (2022). An American perspective. In van der Wolf, M. (Ed.), Safeguarding the quality of forensic assessment in sentencing: A review across Western nations (pp. 63–97). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351266482-4
Viglione, D. J., de Ruiter, C., King, C. M., Meyer, G. J., Kivisto, A. J., Rubin, B. A., & Hunsley, J. (2022). Legal admissibility of the Rorschach and R-PAS: A review of research, practice, and case law. Journal of Personality Assessment, 104(2), 137–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2022.2028795
Grove, L., King, C. M., Bomysoad, R., Vasquez, L., & Kois, L. E. (2021). Technology for assessment and treatment of justice-involved youth: A systematic literature review. Law and Human Behavior, 45(5), 413–426. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-09218-003
King, C. M., Del Pozzo, J., Ceballo, D., & Zapf, P. A. (2021). An examination of fitness to stand trial, competence to make treatment decisions, and psychosis in a North American sample. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 20(3), 278–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/14999013.2021.1876796
