6 answers
Yoshi
Student
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
7
Questions
Asked
1315 views
Forensic vs Crininology vs Criminal Psychology?
If one wants to be something like an investigative psychologist, which degree is better? If I want to look at crime scenes and solve them, but don't want to do blood/dna/ hormone research and all and don't want to be involved with science at all, but I also don't want to dwell much on the 'Why' part. Like, I would love to figure it out, 'interview the suspect and figure out their motives or if they are telling the truth or a lie,' and wanna work on such cases (especially the interview). Which of the two fields would suit the above criteria better?
Also, pls tell the difference and importance of the three fields.
Login to comment
6 answers
Emily Proano
Medical assistant
45
Answers
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Updated
Emily’s Answer
Based on what you’ve described, criminal psychology sounds like the closest fit, but there are a few important distinctions. Forensic science is heavily focused on the scientific side of investigations, such as collecting and analyzing evidence like DNA, fingerprints, blood, and toxicology, so it doesn’t sound like what you’re looking for. Criminology studies crime on a broader level by looking at patterns, causes, prevention, and the criminal justice system, but it’s less focused on interviewing individual suspects. Criminal psychology, or forensic psychology, focuses on understanding behavior, interviewing offenders, assessing mental state, evaluating risk, and helping law enforcement or the courts understand the psychological side of a case. One thing to keep in mind is that the “investigative psychologist” role you often see in TV shows is quite rare, and most professionals in this area don’t solve crimes themselves or determine whether someone is lying. If what excites you most is interviewing suspects, analyzing behavior, and contributing psychological insights during investigations, I’d recommend looking into forensic psychology. If you can, try shadowing professionals in law enforcement or forensic psychology to get a realistic picture of what the day-to-day work is actually like before choosing a degree.
Thank you for taking the time to help.
Yoshi
Sijoy Sagar
Program Manager
50
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Sijoy’s Answer
Hi Yoshi,
If you are excited about interviewing suspects, analyzing motives, and working closely with investigative teams, Forensic Psychology is the perfect path for you. Unlike handling lab evidence or studying social theories, this field blends psychology with law enforcement, aligning with your goal of becoming an investigative psychologist.
Here's a quick look at related fields:
1. Forensic Science: Focuses on lab work like DNA and fingerprint analysis. It's great for those interested in natural sciences and lab-based investigations.
2. Criminology: Examines crime trends and prevention, ideal for those interested in sociology and public policy.
3. Criminal Psychology: Dives into the reasons behind criminal behavior, suited for those interested in deep psychological analysis.
4. Forensic Psychology: Applies psychology in legal settings, involving suspect interviews, credibility assessments, and courtroom work. It's perfect for those who want hands-on experience with law enforcement.
Choosing Your Path:
1. Since lab work is not your thing, Forensic Science might not be right for you.
2. If broad theories are not your focus, Criminology could feel too abstract.
3. Forensic Psychology fits best, as it involves practical work like interviewing suspects and working with law enforcement.
Each field plays a crucial role:
1. Forensic Science: Essential for evidence-based justice.
2. Criminology: Important for shaping crime prevention policies.
3. Criminal Psychology: Useful for understanding offender behavior.
4. Forensic Psychology: Vital for suspect interviews and solving cases.
If your dream is to be an investigative psychologist who interviews suspects and solves cases without focusing on lab science, Forensic Psychology is the way to go. It will give you the skills to analyze behavior, support law enforcement, and directly contribute to solving crimes. Wishing you all the very best in your future endeavors.
If you are excited about interviewing suspects, analyzing motives, and working closely with investigative teams, Forensic Psychology is the perfect path for you. Unlike handling lab evidence or studying social theories, this field blends psychology with law enforcement, aligning with your goal of becoming an investigative psychologist.
Here's a quick look at related fields:
1. Forensic Science: Focuses on lab work like DNA and fingerprint analysis. It's great for those interested in natural sciences and lab-based investigations.
2. Criminology: Examines crime trends and prevention, ideal for those interested in sociology and public policy.
3. Criminal Psychology: Dives into the reasons behind criminal behavior, suited for those interested in deep psychological analysis.
4. Forensic Psychology: Applies psychology in legal settings, involving suspect interviews, credibility assessments, and courtroom work. It's perfect for those who want hands-on experience with law enforcement.
Choosing Your Path:
1. Since lab work is not your thing, Forensic Science might not be right for you.
2. If broad theories are not your focus, Criminology could feel too abstract.
3. Forensic Psychology fits best, as it involves practical work like interviewing suspects and working with law enforcement.
Each field plays a crucial role:
1. Forensic Science: Essential for evidence-based justice.
2. Criminology: Important for shaping crime prevention policies.
3. Criminal Psychology: Useful for understanding offender behavior.
4. Forensic Psychology: Vital for suspect interviews and solving cases.
If your dream is to be an investigative psychologist who interviews suspects and solves cases without focusing on lab science, Forensic Psychology is the way to go. It will give you the skills to analyze behavior, support law enforcement, and directly contribute to solving crimes. Wishing you all the very best in your future endeavors.
Thank you so much for this. I have a better idea about my future now!
Yoshi
Pandian Rajendran
Research Associate
1
Answer
College Station, Texas
Updated
Pandian’s Answer
Criminology looks at crime on a large scale, while forensic science involves a lot of lab work like DNA and blood analysis, which you want to avoid. Based on what you’ve said, forensic psychology, also known as investigative psychology, might be a great fit for you. It focuses on understanding how people think, reading their behavior, and figuring out if they're being honest. If this interests you, starting with a psychology degree and then getting a master's in forensic or investigative psychology would be a good path. You could later specialize in interviewing or profiling. Keep in mind that profiler jobs are rare and competitive, so many people gain experience in psychology and work with law enforcement over time. It requires patience, but if you love it, it's definitely worth it.
Thank you so much for the advice.
Yoshi
Mike K
Retired Law Enforcement
24
Answers
Henderson, Nevada
Updated
Mike’s Answer
Hello Yoshi. I fully agree with the other contributors. If your main interest is to interview suspects to ascertain their truthfulness and motives, you're definitely going to want to focus on psychology. Often times interviews like this are initially conducted by investigators (primarily referred to as detectives in the U.S.) who have at least some police officer experience beforehand, but if you're more interested in the psychology aspect regarding criminals whom have already been convicted, or are in prison, focus most on your studies in psychology, criminology, and perhaps even sociology. Best of luck!
Thanks a lot, Mike, for all these advices. They sure guid they way.
Yoshi
ANTHONY SYLVESTER
School counselor
33
Answers
Onitsha, Anambra, Nigeria
Updated
ANTHONY’s Answer
Hi Yoshi,
You are asking a very good career question, because the three fields sound similar but actually prepare you for quite different kinds of work.
Based on what you have described interviewing suspects, observing behaviour, understanding motives, gathering information and contributing to criminal investigations, while avoiding laboratory work such as DNA, blood and toxicology, I would recommend that you look closely at Psychology, particularly forensic or investigative psychology, but with an important qualification: the exact career you want may require a combination of psychology and law enforcement/investigative training.
1. Forensic Science
Forensic science is primarily about physical and scientific evidence.
Forensic scientists may work with:
DNA and biological samples
Blood and bodily fluids
Fingerprints
Toxicology and drugs
Ballistics
Trace evidence
Digital or chemical evidence
If you strongly dislike laboratory science, chemistry, biology and physical evidence analysis, this is probably not your best fit.
2. Criminology
Criminology is the study of crime, criminals and the criminal justice system, often from a social-science perspective.
It can involve:
Crime patterns and trends - Causes and risk factors for crime
Criminal behaviour
Crime prevention
Prisons and rehabilitation
Policing and criminal justice policies
Research into why crime occurs
Criminology is excellent if you are interested in understanding crime as a broader social problem. However, it may not give you the hands-on suspect interviewing role you are imagining.
3. Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychology applies psychological knowledge to law, courts and the criminal justice system.
Depending on the country, qualifications and job, forensic psychologists may work in areas such as:
Psychological assessment
Offender assessment and rehabilitation
Risk assessment
Court-related evaluations
Corrections/prisons
Behavioural research
Victim and offender services
Occasionally, investigative support
This is much closer to your interests than forensic science.
However, I would be careful about the idea that a forensic psychologist's job is to "look at a suspect and know whether they are lying." Psychologists do not have a reliable ability to detect lies simply by reading facial expressions or body language. Professional investigations depend on structured interviewing, evidence, corroboration and careful evaluation of information.
What about "criminal psychology"?
You will often hear the term criminal psychology, but it is not necessarily a separate professional degree or clearly defined career path everywhere. It is generally used to describe the psychological study of people who commit crime and criminal behaviour.
So when choosing a university programme, don't choose a course simply because its title says "Criminal Psychology." Look carefully at the curriculum, professional accreditation and the jobs its graduates actually enter.
What about investigative psychology?
This may actually be the concept closest to what you are imagining.
Investigative psychology applies psychological principles to criminal investigation for example, understanding offender behaviour, investigative decision making, interviewing and analysing information relevant to an investigation.
But here is the reality check that is important for your career planning:
The television version of an "investigative psychologist" who walks into a crime scene, interviews the suspect, detects the lie, profiles the offender and solves the case is not a typical job description.
In real life, different professionals work together. Detectives/investigators may conduct interviews and gather evidence, forensic scientists analyse physical evidence, psychologists provide psychological expertise, and prosecutors and other professionals handle legal aspects.
If your number-one interest is interviewing suspects and conducting investigations, you should therefore investigate careers such as criminal investigator, detective, investigative interviewer or law-enforcement investigator, in addition to forensic psychology.
So which degree should you choose?
If your strongest interests are:
Psychology , human behaviour , interviewing , criminal justice , Psychology/Forensic Psychology
Crime patterns , prevention , criminal justice research Criminology
DNA , blood , fingerprints , laboratory evidence , Forensic Science
Direct investigation , interviewing suspects , gathering evidence , Criminal Investigation/Law Enforcement, potentially combined with psychology
Therefore, if you want the psychological side of investigations, I would lean toward a Psychology degree followed by appropriate specialization in forensic/investigative psychology.
If, however, your real dream is to be the person who leads investigations, interviews suspects, collects information and builds the case, then don't limit yourself to psychology. A law-enforcement or criminal, investigation pathway may actually take you closer to that daily work.
One more important point: you said you don't want to "dwell much on the why." Psychology inevitably involves some understanding of why people behave as they do. If you have almost no interest in that, you may actually prefer criminal investigation rather than psychology.
My advice as a counselor
Don't choose the degree based on which title sounds most exciting. Choose the degree that gives you access to the work you actually want to do.
Before enrolling, take three practical steps:
1. Search for real job descriptions for forensic psychologist, investigative psychologist, detective/criminal investigator and investigative interviewer.
2. Compare the qualifications required for those jobs in the country where you eventually want to work.
3. If possible, speak with a practising psychologist or law-enforcement investigator and ask what their typical working day actually looks like.
Your interest in interviewing, analysing behaviour and solving cases is valuable. The key is to separate the TV version of criminal psychology from the actual professions and then build your education around the real job you want.
You don't necessarily have to choose between psychology and investigation. With the right education and practical experience, you can build expertise at the intersection of psychology, interviewing and criminal investigation.
Best wishes as you explore the field!
You are asking a very good career question, because the three fields sound similar but actually prepare you for quite different kinds of work.
Based on what you have described interviewing suspects, observing behaviour, understanding motives, gathering information and contributing to criminal investigations, while avoiding laboratory work such as DNA, blood and toxicology, I would recommend that you look closely at Psychology, particularly forensic or investigative psychology, but with an important qualification: the exact career you want may require a combination of psychology and law enforcement/investigative training.
1. Forensic Science
Forensic science is primarily about physical and scientific evidence.
Forensic scientists may work with:
DNA and biological samples
Blood and bodily fluids
Fingerprints
Toxicology and drugs
Ballistics
Trace evidence
Digital or chemical evidence
If you strongly dislike laboratory science, chemistry, biology and physical evidence analysis, this is probably not your best fit.
2. Criminology
Criminology is the study of crime, criminals and the criminal justice system, often from a social-science perspective.
It can involve:
Crime patterns and trends - Causes and risk factors for crime
Criminal behaviour
Crime prevention
Prisons and rehabilitation
Policing and criminal justice policies
Research into why crime occurs
Criminology is excellent if you are interested in understanding crime as a broader social problem. However, it may not give you the hands-on suspect interviewing role you are imagining.
3. Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychology applies psychological knowledge to law, courts and the criminal justice system.
Depending on the country, qualifications and job, forensic psychologists may work in areas such as:
Psychological assessment
Offender assessment and rehabilitation
Risk assessment
Court-related evaluations
Corrections/prisons
Behavioural research
Victim and offender services
Occasionally, investigative support
This is much closer to your interests than forensic science.
However, I would be careful about the idea that a forensic psychologist's job is to "look at a suspect and know whether they are lying." Psychologists do not have a reliable ability to detect lies simply by reading facial expressions or body language. Professional investigations depend on structured interviewing, evidence, corroboration and careful evaluation of information.
What about "criminal psychology"?
You will often hear the term criminal psychology, but it is not necessarily a separate professional degree or clearly defined career path everywhere. It is generally used to describe the psychological study of people who commit crime and criminal behaviour.
So when choosing a university programme, don't choose a course simply because its title says "Criminal Psychology." Look carefully at the curriculum, professional accreditation and the jobs its graduates actually enter.
What about investigative psychology?
This may actually be the concept closest to what you are imagining.
Investigative psychology applies psychological principles to criminal investigation for example, understanding offender behaviour, investigative decision making, interviewing and analysing information relevant to an investigation.
But here is the reality check that is important for your career planning:
The television version of an "investigative psychologist" who walks into a crime scene, interviews the suspect, detects the lie, profiles the offender and solves the case is not a typical job description.
In real life, different professionals work together. Detectives/investigators may conduct interviews and gather evidence, forensic scientists analyse physical evidence, psychologists provide psychological expertise, and prosecutors and other professionals handle legal aspects.
If your number-one interest is interviewing suspects and conducting investigations, you should therefore investigate careers such as criminal investigator, detective, investigative interviewer or law-enforcement investigator, in addition to forensic psychology.
So which degree should you choose?
If your strongest interests are:
Psychology , human behaviour , interviewing , criminal justice , Psychology/Forensic Psychology
Crime patterns , prevention , criminal justice research Criminology
DNA , blood , fingerprints , laboratory evidence , Forensic Science
Direct investigation , interviewing suspects , gathering evidence , Criminal Investigation/Law Enforcement, potentially combined with psychology
Therefore, if you want the psychological side of investigations, I would lean toward a Psychology degree followed by appropriate specialization in forensic/investigative psychology.
If, however, your real dream is to be the person who leads investigations, interviews suspects, collects information and builds the case, then don't limit yourself to psychology. A law-enforcement or criminal, investigation pathway may actually take you closer to that daily work.
One more important point: you said you don't want to "dwell much on the why." Psychology inevitably involves some understanding of why people behave as they do. If you have almost no interest in that, you may actually prefer criminal investigation rather than psychology.
My advice as a counselor
Don't choose the degree based on which title sounds most exciting. Choose the degree that gives you access to the work you actually want to do.
Before enrolling, take three practical steps:
1. Search for real job descriptions for forensic psychologist, investigative psychologist, detective/criminal investigator and investigative interviewer.
2. Compare the qualifications required for those jobs in the country where you eventually want to work.
3. If possible, speak with a practising psychologist or law-enforcement investigator and ask what their typical working day actually looks like.
Your interest in interviewing, analysing behaviour and solving cases is valuable. The key is to separate the TV version of criminal psychology from the actual professions and then build your education around the real job you want.
You don't necessarily have to choose between psychology and investigation. With the right education and practical experience, you can build expertise at the intersection of psychology, interviewing and criminal investigation.
Best wishes as you explore the field!
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1418
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Yoshi,
Based on what you've described, I think forensic psychology is closer to what you're interested in than criminology or forensic science. But there's an important point: there isn't really one degree that trains you to be an "investigative psychologist" who walks into crime scenes, interviews suspects, and solves cases as you see on TV.
The three fields are quite different. Forensic science focuses on physical evidence from crimes, such as DNA, fingerprints, chemicals, and other laboratory evidence. Since you said you don't want that kind of work, this probably isn't the best fit for you.
Criminology focuses more on crime itself. You might study why people commit crimes, patterns of criminal behavior, the justice system, and ways to prevent crime. It's more about understanding crime at a broader level than interviewing individual suspects.
Forensic psychology applies psychology to the legal and criminal justice system. Depending on your training and job, this can involve psychological assessments, working with offenders, evaluating people involved in legal cases, and sometimes supporting investigations. Interviewing and understanding behavior can be part of the work, but forensic psychologists don't generally have a magic ability to tell when someone is lying. Real investigative interviewing relies on training, evidence, careful questioning, and corroborating information.
If the part that interests you most is interviewing suspects, gathering information, and helping solve cases, you may also want to explore careers in criminal investigations or law enforcement. Some investigators receive specialized training in investigative interviewing and behavioral interviewing.
I'd suggest researching actual job descriptions for forensic psychologists, detectives, criminal investigators, and investigative interviewers. That will give you a much clearer picture than choosing a degree based only on the title.
Your interests are specific, which is helpful. Now the goal is to find the career that matches the actual work you want to do, instead of simply picking the degree with the most interesting name.
Best wishes!
Based on what you've described, I think forensic psychology is closer to what you're interested in than criminology or forensic science. But there's an important point: there isn't really one degree that trains you to be an "investigative psychologist" who walks into crime scenes, interviews suspects, and solves cases as you see on TV.
The three fields are quite different. Forensic science focuses on physical evidence from crimes, such as DNA, fingerprints, chemicals, and other laboratory evidence. Since you said you don't want that kind of work, this probably isn't the best fit for you.
Criminology focuses more on crime itself. You might study why people commit crimes, patterns of criminal behavior, the justice system, and ways to prevent crime. It's more about understanding crime at a broader level than interviewing individual suspects.
Forensic psychology applies psychology to the legal and criminal justice system. Depending on your training and job, this can involve psychological assessments, working with offenders, evaluating people involved in legal cases, and sometimes supporting investigations. Interviewing and understanding behavior can be part of the work, but forensic psychologists don't generally have a magic ability to tell when someone is lying. Real investigative interviewing relies on training, evidence, careful questioning, and corroborating information.
If the part that interests you most is interviewing suspects, gathering information, and helping solve cases, you may also want to explore careers in criminal investigations or law enforcement. Some investigators receive specialized training in investigative interviewing and behavioral interviewing.
I'd suggest researching actual job descriptions for forensic psychologists, detectives, criminal investigators, and investigative interviewers. That will give you a much clearer picture than choosing a degree based only on the title.
Your interests are specific, which is helpful. Now the goal is to find the career that matches the actual work you want to do, instead of simply picking the degree with the most interesting name.
Best wishes!