Forensic Psychology Literature Review Topics

We at TopicSuggestions study how psychological evidence influences courtroom decisions, policy, and everyday practice, and we see how a focused literature review can turn a broad interest in forensic psychology into a clear, researchable project. Today we will share a concise set of timely literature review topics—each framed with angles you can investigate and pointers to where the strongest evidence tends to live—so you can pick a path that fits your course and timeline.

We start by spelling out what makes a strong review topic (scope, feasibility, ethical footing), we follow with clustered topic ideas across areas like eyewitness memory, risk assessment, interrogation practices, digital offending, and cultural bias, and we close with quick tips for narrowing your question, finding quality sources, and mapping sections for a clean write-up.

Literature Review Topic Ideas on Forensic Psychology

We (TopicSuggestions) can’t guarantee any topic has never been mentioned before, but we offer 50 highly novel, underexplored Forensic psychology topics with original research questions.

1. Developmental effects of AI-generated parental avatars on early attachment formation

– How do we experimentally compare attachment patterns in infants exposed to AI-generated parental avatars versus live caregivers?
– How do we measure long-term socioemotional outcomes when infants experience intermittent AI-avatar caregiving during the first year?
– How do we isolate which avatar features (voice realism, facial microexpressions, contingent timing) most strongly influence secure versus insecure attachment?

2. Infant sensorimotor trajectories in households using haptic telepresence for remote caregiving

– How do we track differences in fine and gross motor milestones when remote caregivers provide haptic touch through telepresence devices?
– How do we assess whether infants develop different sensorimotor prediction models after repeated haptic interactions mediated by robotic interfaces?
– How do we test whether caregiver–infant physiological synchrony differs between in-person touch and haptic-telepresence touch and whether that predicts developmental outcomes?

3. Adolescent identity formation in persistent augmented-reality peer ecosystems

– How do we longitudinally examine identity exploration when adolescents interact with persistent AR peers that retain history across sessions?
– How do we quantify the role of curated AR peer feedback on self-concept consolidation during middle adolescence?
– How do we identify protective factors that buffer identity fragmentation when adolescents routinely alternate between physical and AR social roles?

4. Chronobiome shifts, puberty timing, and social cognition development

– How do we map associations between circadian-microbiome (chronobiome) changes and timing of pubertal onset and related social cognitive shifts?
– How do we experimentally probe whether induced sleep-phase shifts alter microbiome composition and thereby affect adolescent emotion recognition?
– How do we model mediational pathways where chronobiome -> sleep architecture -> peer social processing explains variance in social competence?

5. Intergenerational transmission of digital-trauma markers via caregiver physiological synchrony and epigenetics

– How do we operationalize “digital trauma” exposure in caregivers and test whether caregiver stress-linked epigenetic marks associate with infant stress responsivity?
– How do we examine whether reduced caregiver–infant physiological synchrony after caregiver digital-trauma episodes mediates infant emotion regulation development?
– How do we experimentally test interventions that restore synchrony and observe whether epigenetic stress markers in infants change over time?

6. Language acquisition trajectories when primary input comes from synthetic, deepfake voices

– How do we compare phonological, lexical, and pragmatic development in toddlers primarily exposed to synthetic deepfake family voices versus natural caregiver voices?
– How do we test whether prosodic mismatches in deepfake speech impede early word segmentation and joint attention?
– How do we identify which acoustic properties of synthetic voices (microtiming, variability, contingency) are critical for typical language milestones?

7. Executive-function development scaffolded by wearable networked cognitive prostheses in childhood

– How do we measure changes in working memory and inhibitory control when children routinely use wearable devices that provide real-time cognitive prompts?
– How do we evaluate whether reliance on such prostheses modifies internal strategy development versus external dependence over multiple developmental stages?
– How do we test whether intermittent withdrawal of the prosthesis leads to transient deficits or promotes internalization of executive strategies?

8. Moral development under algorithmic social cue feedback (AI-moderated approval and reward systems) in preteens

– How do we experimentally test whether algorithmic “like” distributions shape moral reasoning about fairness and harm in late childhood?
– How do we assess whether children’s internalized moral heuristics differ after prolonged exposure to opaque versus transparent algorithmic feedback?
– How do we identify developmental windows when algorithmic reinforcement has the strongest durable effect on moral judgment formation?

9. Autobiographical memory construction after exposure to AI-curated personal narratives and deepfake family histories

– How do we examine whether adolescents incorporate AI-curated or deepfake family stories into their autobiographical narratives and identity coherence?
– How do we test susceptibility factors (age, family cohesion, memory confidence) that predict whether AI-mediated recollections become integrated as “real” memories?
– How do we evaluate therapeutic and ethical implications of correcting versus preserving AI-inserted autobiographical content over development?

10. Pre-literate children’s climate-anxiety exposure: caregiver discourse patterns and developmental emotional trajectories

– How do we quantify caregiver framing of climate-related information and its effect on pre-literate children’s fear regulation and prosocial environmental behavior?
– How do we longitudinally test whether different caregiver discourse styles (catastrophic vs. efficacy-focused) predict children’s future threat appraisal and hopefulness?
– How do we experimentally assess brief caregiver interventions to reduce maladaptive anxiety while fostering adaptive environmental engagement in early childhood?

11. Algorithmic Bail Decisions and Defendant Self-Concept

We investigate how algorithmic risk assessments used in bail decisions reshape defendants’ self-concept and future legal behavior.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask whether being assigned a high-risk score alters defendants’ agency, stigma, and self-reported likelihood to reoffend; (2) We ask whether transparent versus opaque algorithm explanations differentially affect psychological outcomes; (3) We ask whether demographic concordance between algorithm outputs and prior experiences moderates self-concept changes.
We will operationalize this by running mixed-method field-embedded experiments in jurisdictions piloting algorithmic bail tools, administering pre/post measures of self-concept, stigma, and behavioral intentions, and conducting semi-structured interviews with a purposive subsample to trace cognitive narratives.

12. Childhood Exposure to Pseudo-Legal Cult Rhetoric and Later Susceptibility to Coerced Confessions

We examine whether early exposure to pseudo-legal rhetoric (e.g., “sovereign citizen” teachings) increases adult vulnerability to coercive interrogation and false confessions.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask if individuals with childhood exposure to pseudo-legal communities display different obedience/resistance patterns under interrogation; (2) We ask which cognitive schemas (legal legitimacy, authority distrust) mediate susceptibility; (3) We ask whether brief corrective training reduces vulnerability.
We will use retrospective cohort sampling combined with laboratory simulated interrogation paradigms, psychometric assessments of legal schema, and randomized brief-debiasing interventions to measure changes in false-confession rates.

13. Memory Conformity in Immersive Virtual Reality Lineups

We study whether immersive VR lineups change patterns of memory conformity compared with traditional photo or live lineups.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask whether co-witness discussion in VR environments increases or decreases memory conformity; (2) We ask whether immersion level (high vs low fidelity) affects witness confidence calibration; (3) We ask whether VR can produce diagnostic markers that differentiate true from conformity-driven identifications.
We will conduct randomized controlled experiments using staged VR crime scenarios, manipulate co-witness exposure, collect confidence and identification data, and apply signal-detection and network analyses to social influence dynamics.

14. Remote Court Appearances and Juror Perceptions of Credibility

We analyze how remote testimony (video-conferenced witnesses, defendants, expert witnesses) influences juror credibility judgments and verdict decisions.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask whether micro-behavioral cues altered by compression/latency change perceived honesty; (2) We ask whether spatial framing (small inset vs full-screen) affects perceived authority of expert testimony; (3) We ask whether juror demographics moderate sensitivity to remote presentation cues.
We will run factorial jury simulations varying presentation technology parameters, collect eye-tracking and implicit bias measures, and use multilevel modeling to link presentation features with verdicts and confidence.

15. Moral Disengagement Pathways in Environmental (Eco-) Crimes

We explore the psychological mechanisms that allow individuals to commit environmental crimes (illegal dumping, wildlife trafficking) without moral dissonance.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask which moral disengagement strategies (e.g., diffusion of responsibility, advantageous comparison) are most salient in eco-offenders; (2) We ask whether organizational versus individual offenders differ in moral rationalizations; (3) We ask whether targeted restorative justice prompts reduce future offending intent.
We will use in-depth interviews with convicted eco-offenders, validated scales of moral disengagement, comparative analyses between corporate and individual cases, and pilot restorative justice interventions with pre/post assessments.

16. Linguistic Markers of Deception in Multilingual Asylum Interviews

We investigate whether cross-language linguistic features can reliably indicate deception in asylum claims across interpreters and second-language speakers.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask which cross-linguistic markers (hesitation patterns, code-switching, temporal inconsistency) predict veracity after controlling for trauma and language proficiency; (2) We ask whether interpreter presence attenuates or amplifies markers; (3) We ask whether automated multilingual NLP models can generalize across language families.
We will compile a corpus of recorded asylum interviews with adjudicated outcomes, annotate linguistic features, apply multilingual NLP and mixed-effects models, and validate findings with human expert panels.

17. Forensic Implications of AI-Generated Alibis and Authenticity Perception

We assess how the availability of AI tools to craft alibis changes investigators’ evaluation of authenticity and suspects’ strategies.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask whether jurors and investigators can distinguish human-crafted versus AI-crafted alibi narratives; (2) We ask whether certain stylistic features produced by AI systematically mislead credibility assessments; (3) We ask what forensic interview techniques best reveal AI-originated fabrications.
We will design blind experiments presenting investigators/jurors with matched alibis (human vs AI), run computational stylometry to identify machine signatures, and test modified cognitive interview protocols to unmask AI-generated inconsistencies.

18. Deepfake Threats in Cyberstalking: Psychological Impact and Recidivism Risk

We investigate the psychological harm and escalation patterns when cyberstalkers employ deepfakes, and link these to risk assessment tools.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask how deepfake-mediated harassment differs in trauma outcomes from traditional harassment; (2) We ask whether deepfake use predicts higher recidivism and escalation; (3) We ask how current risk-assessment instruments should be adapted to account for synthetic-media capabilities.
We will perform victim-survivor interviews, analyze case law and incident reports for prevalence, adapt risk-assessment items through Delphi panels, and validate predictive models using longitudinal follow-up.

19. Trauma-Informed Interpreter Use in Forensic Interviews with Non-Native Speakers

We explore how trauma-informed interpreter training affects disclosure quality, credibility assessments, and retraumatization risk in forensic interviews.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask whether interpreters trained in trauma-informed methods elicit more complete and reliable disclosures; (2) We ask whether interviewer–interpreter dynamics influence perceived witness credibility by courts; (3) We ask whether trauma-informed interpreting reduces physiological stress markers in interviewees.
We will deliver randomized training to professional interpreters, compare interview outcomes (content richness, consistency) in simulated and real forensic interviews, and collect psychological and physiological measures from interviewees.

20. Longitudinal Moral Injury and Risk Decision-Making after Incarceration

We examine how incarceration-related moral injury evolves over time and alters decision-making under risk, contributing to reoffending or prosocial outcomes.
We pose the following research questions: (1) We ask which components of moral injury (guilt, betrayal, shame) predict shifts in risk preferences post-release; (2) We ask whether interventions targeting moral repair change economic/ethical decision patterns; (3) We ask how neurocognitive correlates (impulsivity, reward sensitivity) mediate these effects.
We will implement a longitudinal cohort study tracking recently released individuals with repeated behavioral economic tasks, psychometrics for moral injury, neurocognitive testing, and randomized psychosocial interventions aimed at moral repair.

21. Forensic assessment of deepfake-induced false confessions

We propose studying how synthetic audiovisual manipulations precipitate false confessions during interrogations.
Research questions: We ask (1) How do deepfakes of victims or witnesses change suspect compliance and false confession rates?; We ask (2) Which interrogation techniques amplify vulnerability to deepfakes?; We ask (3) What forensic protocols and evidentiary standards reduce risk of conviction based on deepfake-influenced statements?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will run ethically governed mock-interrogation experiments exposing participants to consented deepfakes, analyze confession incidence and content, interview practicing interrogators about plausibility cues, and develop detection/checklist procedures validated against legal-admissibility criteria.

22. Virtual reality therapy response metrics as predictors of recidivism in forensic populations

We propose integrating immersive therapy response data into risk assessment for reoffending.
Research questions: We ask (1) Which in-session VR behavioral and physiological markers predict post-release recidivism better than traditional psychometrics?; We ask (2) How do VR-elicited simulated moral decision patterns map onto real-world offending?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will implement randomized controlled trials embedding standardized VR scenarios into treatment, collect continuous biosensor and behavioral logs, perform survival analyses for recidivism, and build predictive models comparing VR-derived features to standard actuarial instruments.

23. Climate-displacement trauma and its forensic significance for intent and culpability

We propose examining how climate-related displacement influences mental state assessments in criminal and civil proceedings.
Research questions: We ask (1) How does climate-induced chronic stress affect assessments of mens rea, diminished capacity, or insanity defenses?; We ask (2) What assessment instruments can reliably detect climate-displacement trauma relevant to culpability?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will conduct qualitative interviews with displaced populations and forensic clinicians, perform systematic reviews of case law invoking environmental trauma, pilot adapted trauma assessment modules, and validate with case-control comparisons across displaced and non-displaced defendants.

24. Neurodiversity-informed competence-to-stand-trial (CST) assessment protocols

We propose developing CST evaluation methods tailored for autistic, ADHD, and other neurodivergent defendants.
Research questions: We ask (1) How do standard CST instruments misclassify neurodivergent individuals?; We ask (2) Which adapted assessment items improve diagnostic accuracy and procedural fairness?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will recruit neurodivergent and neurotypical samples to complete CST batteries, co-develop adapted vignettes with neurodiversity stakeholders, conduct inter-rater reliability studies with trained forensic evaluators, and produce normative adjustment guidelines.

25. Practitioner responses to algorithmic transparency in forensic risk-prediction tools

We propose investigating how explainability features alter forensic psychologists’ reliance, trust, and bias when using predictive algorithms.
Research questions: We ask (1) Does providing local explanations versus global model summaries change practitioner decisions?; We ask (2) How do transparency levels interact with clinicians’ heuristics to produce under- or over-reliance?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will design vignette-based experiments presenting identical cases with different algorithmic outputs (black-box, feature-attribution, counterfactual explanations), measure decision changes, confidence, and bias, and follow with qualitative debriefs to inform design principles for accountable tools.

26. Forensic psychological profiling of whistleblower credibility and testimony reliability in corporate crime investigations

We propose profiling psychological and situational factors that predict whistleblower reliability and susceptibility to coercion.
Research questions: We ask (1) Which cognitive, motivational, and organizational stress factors predict accurate versus distorted whistleblower reports?; We ask (2) How do interrogation and protection practices affect subsequent testimony reliability?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will conduct mixed-method research combining longitudinal surveys of former corporate whistleblowers, simulated reporting tasks under varied stress/protection manipulations, and coding of documentary case material to derive a validated credibility checklist for investigative use.

27. Moral disengagement and intent assessment in biotech/CRISPR misuse cases

We propose framing forensic intent evaluation around moral disengagement mechanisms in cases involving deliberate misuse of gene-editing technologies.
Research questions: We ask (1) Are standard intent constructs sufficient to capture ethical reasoning in biotech offenders?; We ask (2) Which indicators of moral disengagement reliably differentiate reckless from malicious biotech actors?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will perform content analyses of investigative files and publicized biotech misuse incidents, develop a domain-specific moral disengagement inventory, and validate the instrument via experimental moral-dilemma tasks with life-sciences professionals and lay samples.

28. Cross-linguistic validity of cognitive-load lie-detection techniques in multilingual suspects

We propose testing whether cognitive-load paradigms for deception detection generalize across languages and bilingualism profiles.
Research questions: We ask (1) How do language-switching demands and proficiency alter cognitive-load markers (response latency, gaze, speech disfluency)?; We ask (2) Are current protocols unfairly biased against multilingual defendants?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will recruit mono- and bilingual participants across proficiency levels, administer standard cognitive-load deception tasks in single- and mixed-language conditions, analyze linguistic and psychophysiological moderators, and produce calibration guidelines for forensic use.

29. Social-media “culture of silence” effects on witness cooperation in gang-related prosecutions

We propose exploring how online normative messaging and community enforcement influence witness reluctance and retraction dynamics.
Research questions: We ask (1) How do peer-to-peer social-media signals (e.g., hashtags, memes) affect witness willingness to cooperate?; We ask (2) What digital interventions can shift norms to improve cooperation without increasing risk?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will combine social-network analyses of real case-related messaging, experimental manipulation of normative cues in controlled mock-witness settings, and interviews with law-enforcement/community liaisons to design ethically acceptable intervention strategies.

30. Psychological attribution of responsibility in multi-actor autonomous-vehicle collisions

We propose studying how observers and stakeholders assign moral and legal responsibility among drivers, passengers, manufacturers, and AI agents after complex AV accidents.
Research questions: We ask (1) What psychological heuristics determine blame allocation in human–AI mixed-actor crashes?; We ask (2) How do perceived foreseeability and control interact to influence judgments of culpability and compensation?
Overview of how to work on this topic: We will run large-scale vignette experiments manipulating actor roles and foreseeability cues, gather juror and practitioner samples, analyze patterns of blame and recommended sanctions, and translate findings into forensic evaluative frameworks for multi-actor liability assessments.

31. Algorithmic Psychoprofiling in Juror Selection: Can social-media-derived psychometric models produce systematic biases in peremptory challenges?

We ask: How accurately can juror personality traits be inferred from publicly available social media data using psychometric NLP models? We ask: Do algorithmic inferences produce systematic demographic or cultural biases that affect peremptory challenge decisions? We ask: What safeguards can we design to audit and mitigate bias in algorithmic juror selection aids? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will conduct simulated jury-selection experiments combining validated psychometric ground-truth surveys with synthetic social-media text to compare model inferences versus self-report. We will run bias audits across demographic strata, perform counterfactual tests, and develop procedural checklists and transparency metrics for court use.

32. Deepfake Alibis and the Burden of Proof: How does access to synthetic-to-real audiovisual tools alter standards for corroboration in criminal investigations?

We ask: How frequently do investigative units encounter plausible deepfake alibi artifacts and how do investigators currently validate them? We ask: What evidentiary thresholds and forensic pipelines should be recommended to distinguish malicious deepfake alibis from honest multimedia evidence? We ask: How do different jurisdictions adapt admissibility standards in response to deepfake proliferation? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will carry out structured interviews with digital-forensics labs, run red-team deepfake production and detection trials, and develop decision trees for corroboration that can be empirically validated against Type I/II error rates.

33. Psychophysiological Signatures of Coercion in Virtual Interrogations: Can wearable biosensors detect experienced coercion absent explicit verbal cues?

We ask: Which biosensor-derived features (heart-rate variability, galvanic skin response, micro-movements) reliably correlate with subjective reports of perceived coercion during VR-based interrogations? We ask: Can we distinguish physiological arousal due to stress from arousal specifically linked to coercive pressure? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will design VR interrogation vignettes varying coercive elements, collect multimodal biosensor data from participants with validated coercion scales, and apply time-series and machine-learning models to identify signature patterns while controlling for baseline anxiety and interview context.

34. Forensic Assessment of AI-Generated Confessions: How do jurors and practitioners weigh machine-assisted or synthetically generated confessions?

We ask: How do mock jurors evaluate the credibility of confessions when they are presented as human-solicited, AI-suggested, or AI-synthesized? We ask: What legal and ethical frameworks should govern the admissibility of confessions that incorporate generative-AI artifacts? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will run courtroom vignette experiments manipulating confession provenance and measure verdicts, perceived voluntariness, and expert witness impact; we will synthesize policy recommendations and model jury-instruction language to mitigate undue influence.

35. Micro-Temporal Dynamics of Deception in Wearable Haptics: Can sub-second tactile response patterns predict deceptive intent in field interviews?

We ask: Which micro-temporal haptic response features (finger tremor, skin micro-contractions) correlate with deceptive responses during spontaneous questioning? We ask: How generalizable are such haptic markers across contexts (police stop, workplace interview, forensic interview)? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will collect high-resolution wearable haptic and EMG data during controlled and semi-structured interviews with incentive-compatible deception tasks, apply signal-processing and cross-context validation, and assess ecological validity and ethical constraints for forensic application.

36. Gut–Brain Axis Markers in Risk Assessment for Violent Recidivism: Is there forensic utility in microbiome-derived biomarkers?

We ask: Do specific gut-microbiome profiles correlate with validated aggression or impulsivity measures among offender populations after controlling for diet, medication, and environment? We ask: Can longitudinal microbiome changes predict short-term changes in risk-assessment scores used in parole decisions? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will design longitudinal cohort studies with repeated microbiome sampling, paired psychometric and behavioral risk assessments, and multivariate modeling to evaluate predictive value and ethical implications of using biological markers in forensic risk tools.

37. Forensic Impacts of Anonymous Dark-Web Marketplaces on Stalking Escalation Pathways: Can behavioral signatures predict transition to offline harm?

We ask: What transaction, communication, and browsing features on anonymized marketplaces correlate with later escalation from online stalking behaviors to offline contact or violence? We ask: Which forensic indicators can law enforcement reliably extract without compromising civil liberties? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will deploy mixed-methods analyses combining anonymized scraped marketplace metadata, court case linkage where available, and interviews with investigators to build a risk-feature taxonomy and propose privacy-respecting surveillance thresholds.

38. Cross-Cultural Validity of Deception Markers in VR Crime-Reenactments: Are classic nonverbal cues reliable in immersive, culture-specific virtual contexts?

We ask: How do validated deception markers (gaze aversion, micro-expressions, speech hesitations) perform when suspects reenact crimes in culturally tailored VR settings? We ask: Do cultural norms mediated by VR avatars alter the expression or detectability of deception cues? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will run cross-cultural VR reenactment studies with participants from diverse cultural backgrounds, code multimodal behavior against ground-truth lying tasks, and produce adjustment factors for forensic practitioners using VR tools.

39. Algorithmic Therapist Bias in Police Interrogation Chatbots: What are the forensic consequences of automated rapport-building tools?

We ask: Do interrogation-support chatbots trained on historical interrogation transcripts replicate coercive or biased questioning patterns? We ask: How do different dialogue strategies employed by chatbots affect voluntary disclosure rates and false-confession risk? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will audit chatbot dialogue corpora for bias, run randomized trials comparing human-led, hybrid, and fully automated interrogation support, and derive safety guidelines and oversight metrics for deployment.

40. Restorative-Justice Virtual Exposure and Its Effects on Risk-Assessment Narratives: Can immersive offender exposure to victim impact narratives change actuarial risk predictions?

We ask: Does immersive exposure to personalized victim-impact VR narratives produce measurable changes in forensic risk-assessment instruments (static and dynamic) for offenders? We ask: Are changes durable and ethically justifiable as inputs to parole or treatment decisions? We, the TopicSuggestions team, will implement randomized controlled trials where participants receive restorative VR modules, measure pre/post dynamic risk indicators and behavioral compliance, and evaluate how such interventions should be (or should not be) incorporated into forensic decision-making frameworks.

41. Cognitive bias in post-conviction DNA reexamination decisions

We ask: How do confirmation and outcome bias influence prosecutors’ and lab directors’ decisions to reopen cases after new DNA evidence emerges? We ask: Which debiasing procedures (blind review, sequential unmasking) measurably increase the rate of appropriate reexaminations? We will work on this by designing vignette-based experiments with legal professionals and forensic scientists, running archival audits of reopened cases to code decision pathways, and piloting procedural reforms (e.g., blind submission) with pre/post metrics.

42. Virtual-reality avatars in forensic interviews with adults who have traumatic brain injury

We ask: Can VR-avatar-mediated interviews reduce interviewer-induced suggestibility and improve recall accuracy in adults with TBI compared with standard interviews? We ask: Which avatar features (synchrony, anthropomorphism) affect rapport and reporting accuracy? We will work on this by developing controlled VR interview paradigms, recruiting clinical TBI samples, comparing free recall and structured questioning outcomes, and using mixed methods (neuropsychological testing, qualitative feedback) to refine protocols.

43. Social media support networks as moderators of false confession risk among adolescents

We ask: How do online peer dynamics and perceived social support on social platforms influence adolescent susceptibility to false confession during police interrogation? We ask: Can targeted digital interventions (peer-informed messaging) reduce false- confession tendencies? We will work on this by combining social-network analysis of youth social media with lab-based simulated interrogation tasks, implementing randomized informational interventions within social groups, and measuring changes in compliance and confession rates.

44. Cross-cultural validity of IPV risk-assessment algorithms for migrant and refugee populations

We ask: Do popular actuarial risk tools for intimate partner violence retain predictive accuracy and cultural fairness when applied to recently arrived migrants and refugees? We ask: Which contextual variables (trauma history, legal status, cultural norms) need to be integrated to improve calibration? We will work on this by conducting algorithmic audits using cohort data from shelters and clinics, performing qualitative interviews with caseworkers to identify missing predictors, and retraining models with domain-specific features followed by external validation.

45. Wearable psychophysiological markers of perceived coercion during custodial interrogations

We ask: Which real-time wearable-derived signals (heart-rate variability, electrodermal activity, pupilometry via smart glasses) reliably index a suspect’s experienced coercion before behavioral signs emerge? We ask: Can those markers be used to trigger procedural safeguards in real time? We will work on this by running ethically controlled mock-interrogation studies with consenting adults instrumented with multimodal wearables, applying machine-learning to detect coercion epochs, and testing alerting protocols with legal stakeholders.

46. Forensic assessment implications of digital self-harm in malingering evaluations

We ask: How does intentional online self-harm behavior (posting self-injurious content to elicit attention) complicate clinical malingering detection in forensic settings? We ask: What interview and collateral-data strategies improve differentiation between genuine suicidality and digitally mediated self-harm for secondary gain? We will work on this by creating structured assessment modules that incorporate social-media forensics, validating them against known-groups (confirmed malingering vs. clinical cases), and developing guidance for expert testimony.

47. Climate-displacement, stress, and shifts in mens rea: forensic evaluations in environmentally displaced populations

We ask: How do chronic stressors from climate-related displacement affect cognitive-emotional states relevant to criminal intent (mens rea) assessments in displaced populations? We ask: What forensic frameworks can incorporate displacement-related trauma and survival-driven conduct into culpability determinations? We will work on this by conducting ethnographic studies and clinical assessments in displacement camps, operationalizing stress-related modifiers of intent in forensic interviews, and proposing structured opinion formats for forensic experts.

48. Deepfake voice evidence and juror credibility judgments: thresholds and heuristics

We ask: At what perceptual or technical thresholds do deepfake audio artifacts alter juror assessments of witness credibility and defendant culpability? We ask: Which courtroom explanations or visualization tools help jurors correctly calibrate probative value of synthetic audio? We will work on this by creating graded deepfake stimuli, running juror mock-trials with manipulated evidence, measuring credibility and verdict shifts, and testing mitigations (expert testimony, spectrum visualizations of authenticity scores).

49. Neurofeedback as an adjunct to forensic rehabilitation for impulse-control–related offending

We ask: Does targeted neurofeedback training reduce recidivism risk markers (impulsivity, aggression) among incarcerated individuals with diagnosed impulse-control disorders? We ask: Which neurophysiological targets (theta/beta ratios, frontal asymmetry) produce the greatest behavioral change and generalize post-release? We will work on this by implementing a randomized controlled feasibility trial inside correctional facilities, combining neurocognitive assessments, behavioral incident tracking, and long-term follow-up after release.

50. Ethical decision-making and accountability in hybrid human–AI sentencing recommendations

We ask: How do judges and sentencing practitioners integrate algorithmic recommendations with human judgment, and how does perceived accountability (institutional, legal) shape reliance patterns? We ask: What transparency and audit mechanisms improve lawful, equitable sentencing decisions in hybrid systems? We will work on this by simulating sentencing panels with varying AI-explainability levels, measuring decision shifts and responsibility attribution, and drafting empirically driven policy guidelines for audit trails and human override protocols.