8th International Summer Conference: Research in Forensic Psychiatry

5th to 6th July 2012, in Regensburg, Germany

The Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Unit at the University of Regensburg invites you to take part in its 8th International Summer Conference from July 5 to 6, 2012.

The annual Summer Conference in Regensburg (Germany) is an international conference on topics of the Forensic Psychiatry. International experts for Forensic Psychiatry, Forensic Psychology and Criminology are invited as keynote speakers and chairs. Apart form an active participation as a presenter a passive participation is possible as well.

Proposals should address one of the following topics:

• prediction of dangerousness & recidivism
• offender treatment
• crime scene analysis / investigative psychology
• risk management
• forensic juvenile psychiatry
• psychopathy: concepts & research
• forensic neurobiology & neuroimaging
• forensic assessment
• sexual preference disorders
• sexual abuse & maltreatment

The keynote speakers this year are Prof. Dr. Michael C. Seto (Canada) and Prof. Dr. Stephen W. Smallbone (Australia)

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: May 25, 2012

For further information visit the conference website or contact Ms Simone Schwabenbauer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The EAPL conference in Cyprus is going to offer a workshop on deception detection hosted by Dr. Stephen Porter (with the help of Leanne ten Brinke and Julia Shaw). More information, including the date and how to register, will be announced as it becomes available. We look forward to seeing you there!

Workshop summary

Deception is a common element of human social interaction and occurs all too frequently. Yet, without training, most people (professionals and laypersons alike) “flip a coin” when attempting to catch liars. However, psychological science has revealed behavioural cues that are reliably associated with deception and can be observed by the trained eye. Research by the presenter has demonstrated that empirically-based training can lead to a substantial improvement in deception detection ability. This workshop will offer comprehensive, evidence-based training in detecting deception, through lecture, practice, feedback, and analyses of real-world videotaped examples of highly motivated deceivers. Part 1 of the workshop focuses on “myth-busting”, how to avoid common pitfalls, and the need for critical thinking. A theoretical model and a false murder conviction case (Stephen Truscott) in Canada will be used to demonstrate how such pitfalls occur. Part 2 of the workshop will address the assessment of deception by close attention to: body language, facial expressions, and statements as in police investigations in which the presenter has been consulted. Further, active interviewing strategies aimed at enhancing deception detection ability will be described. This training will serve as a practical guide to enhance participants’ ability to detect lies in the workplace and everyday life.

Early registration: $200 per person ($125 student rate)

Late or on-site registration: $250 per person ($175 student rate)

This is a reminder for you to submit articles to the EAPL-S special edition of the journal "Psychology Crime and Law"!

Call for papers: PCL Special Edition

Students in Psychology and Law

Psychology, Crime and Law is pleased to announce a forthcoming special issue showcasing student research in psychology and law. Accompanying Prof. Peter van Koppen, Julia Shaw (PhD Candidate) and Lisa Öhman (PhD Candidate) will be featured as graduate student guest editors on this special issue.

The discipline of psychology and law has been attracting an increasing number of students over the past decade. With this rapid increase in the student body come the challenges of growing and developing high quality programs around the world, and maintaining a sense of international community. By providing a special issue of Psychology, Crime and law, the European Association of Psychology and Law hopes to call attention to high-quality student research and facilitate student involvement in the field.

This call for papers invites contributions by students who hold primary authorship on research manuscripts.

Click here for the official call for papers.

Submissions are due January 15th, 2012.

About the author: This article was written as a guest post by Leanne ten Brinke, Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia (Canada). Although she is still a graduate student, Leanne is already a world-renown expert on deception detection and has published over 17 peer-reviewed articles, 3 chapters, and various informational articles for the general public (all published within the last 4 years!). Don't believe me? Read her CV here.

Publishing as a Graduate Student

So, you’ve just spent over a year working on a research project – your thesis, your pièce de résistance, your long-term relationship … call it what you like. You crossed your fingers tightly, fired up your SPSS program, and the output includes a p value less than .05. It’s all so exciting! This is the first time you’ve felt awake in months. Sure, the project is responsible for your current malnourished state, a decline in your personal hygiene, and your shortened life expectancy, but you’ve just discovered something entirely novel about human nature and you’re ready to share it with the world.

Over the course of my graduate training I have tried very hard to see my name in print (not as sexy as having one’s name in lights, but then again, graduate school is not known for glamour). Earning some positive feedback and a variety of scathing reviews along the way, I’ve learned a decent amount about what to do, and even more about what not to do, to get published along the way. Here are some of my tips and tricks that have led to successful publications for me (and my fabulous co-authors!). I hope they help you share your new discovery with the world!

The Preparation:

• Consider the impact of your research findings – what kind of journal would be most appropriate for (and mostly likely to be accepted into)? Check out your options and try to pick a journal that fits your work in terms of both topic and impact. I like to aim high (but realistically so!) first, and consider a lower impact journal if my paper is rejected by my initial journal choice.