Research group Forensic Psychology lab (ForPsy)
The ForPsy lab is dedicated to research on psychological, mainly social psychological, aspects of legal processes and systems.
The research is spanning from the prediction of criminality and violent crimes among adults, to social workers’ decision making related to cases of crime among children, to investigative interviews in different settings and credibility and accuracy of eyewitness testimony.
We use both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate these areas, including experimental designs, cross-sectional studies and in-depth interviews.
The Forensic Psychology lab is led by associate professor Charlotte Alm and includes guest researcher PhD Arman Raver and associate professor Ronald Van den Berg. We welcome student theses within psychology and/or computer science on topics related to forensic psychology. We also welcome applications from international students for intern- or traineeships within for instance an Erasmus agreement.
Parts of the research conducted within the lab is funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet; 2019-0396).
There are no research project connections.
Alm, C., Berman, A. H., Kristiansson, M., Lindqvist, P., Palmstierna, T., & Gumpert, C. H. (2010). Gender differences in re-offending among psychiatrically examined Swedish offenders. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 20, 323–334. DOI: 10.1002/cbm.767
Alm, C., Eriksson, Å., Durbeej, N., Palmstierna, T., Berman, A. H., Kristiansson, M., & Hellner Gumpert, C. (2014). Classification of offenders with mental health problems and problematic substance use using the Addiction Severity Index version 6 (ASI-6): Analysis of three-year follow-up data and predictive validity. Mental Health and Substance Use, 7, 431–445.
Alm, C., Eriksson, Å., Palmstierna, T., Kristiansson, M., Berman, A. H., & Gumpert, C. H. (2011). Treatment patterns among offenders with mental health problems and substance use problems. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 38, 497–509. DOI: 10.1007/s11414-011-9237-z
Alm, C., Helmy Rehnberg, N., & Lindholm, T. (2019). Language and Eyewitness Suggestibility. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 16, 201–212. DOI: 10.1002/jip.1529
Caman, S., Alm, C., & Simonsson, P. (2024). ‘Everyone is against me’: A qualitative study of intimate partner violence perpetration with convicted and self-referred men. Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, 1–27. DOI: 10.1080/24732850.2024.2400287
Cederborg, A.-C., Alm, C., Lima da Silva Nises, D., & Lamb, M. E. (2013). Investigative interviewing of alleged children – An evaluation of a new training programme for police officers in Sweden. Police Practice and Research: An International Journal, 14, 242–254. DOI: 10.1080/15614263.2012.712292
Durbeej, N., Alm, C., & Hellner Gumpert, C. (2014). Perceptions of treatment among offenders with mental health problems and problematic substance use: The possible relevance of psychopathic personality traits. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 4, 79–90.
Durbeej, N., Berman, A. H., Gumpert, C. H., Palmstierna, T., Kristiansson, M., & Alm, C. (2010). Validation of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test in a Swedish sample of suspected offenders with signs of mental health problems: Results from the Mental Disorder, Substance Abuse and Crime Study. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 39, 364–377. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2010.07.007
Eriksson, Å., Alm, C., Palmstierna, T., Berman, A. H., Kristiansson, M., & Gumpert, C. H. (2013). Offenders with Mental Health Problems and Substance Misuse: Cluster Analysis based on the Addiction Severity Index version 6 (ASI-6). Mental Health and Substance Use, 6, 15–28.
Hultman, E., Alm, C., Cederborg, A.-C., & Fälth-Magnusson, K. (2013). Vulnerable children’s health as described in investigations of children at risk for neglect. Child & Family Social Work, 18, 117–128. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00807.x
Lindholm, J., Cederborg, A.-C., & Alm, C. (2015). Adolescent Girls Exploited in the Sex Trade: Informativeness and Evasiveness in Investigative Interviews. Police Practice and Research, 16(3), 197–210. DOI: 10.1080/15614263.2014.880839
Raver, A., Lindholm, T., & Alm, C. (2025). Non-verbal cues in eyewitness testimonies do not predict accuracy or credibility assessments. Scientific Reports, 15, 5265. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-89825-0
Raver, A., Landström, S., Adolfsson, K., & Strömwall, L. A. (2025). “There is No Time”: Swedish Professionals’ Perspective on Rape Victim Treatment. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 34(2), 204–221. DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2025.2462920
Raver, A., Lindholm, T., Hassoun, S. L., & Alm, C. (2024). Interrogation questions to native and non‐native eyewitnesses: The role of witness credibility. Legal and Criminological Psychology. DOI: 10.1111/lcrp.12301
Raver, A., Lindholm, T., Gustafsson, P. U., & Alm, C. (2023). Memory accuracy, suggestibility and credibility in investigative interviews with native and non-native eyewitnesses. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1240822. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1240822
Tärnfalk, M., & Alm, C. (2021). Social workers’ motivations and organisational prerequisites for care of children who commit crimes – The best interest of the child or the protection of society? European Journal of Social Work, 24(1), 21–33. DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2019.1585334