WHAT WE DO
The Psychology of Testimony has been studied since the end of the 1990s 70. From this area of research it is possible to understand How the cognitive processes involved in the interview of victims work, Witnesses, and suspects, and in the recognition of people. However, the findings of this area still remain incipient in Brazil. Through scientific publications we seek to disseminate answer some questions such as:
Why do we remember or forget certain events?
How can witnesses remember something that didn't happen?
Lie detection techniques work in a police interrogation?
What factors can increase or decrease the risk of an innocent being found guilty of a crime?
How can a person confess to a crime he has not committed?
Currently we have a group of researchers from different Brazilian states engaged in carrying out a serious scientific dissemination. Our main objective is to use consolidated findings of Cognitive Psychology to assist the Brazilian Justice System.
Training
Cops, judges, Lawyers, Promoters, and other actors in the justice system use human memory to obtain information about what happened in a crime and who were the people involved. Meanwhile, the memory of a crime is not static, being subjected to cognitive phenomena such as forgetfulness and false memories.
As important as the information obtained, is how this was obtained. Inadequate procedures can lead to the recognition of innocent, false information, or little cooperation of the interviewee.
In most cases, Brazil has no scientific guidelines on how to interview victims, Witnesses, Suspects, or perform the recognition of people. In order to fill this gap, CogJus develops lectures and training in online and face-to-face format, based on scientifically validated training protocols.
We believe that the partnership between researchers and the justice system is a fruitful path to be trodden, for the distance between scientific knowledge about and the practices used in the country for the, interrogation, and recognition of people. The national and international experience of its researchers and speaker aims to develop theoretical and practical concepts focused on the needs of the actors of the Brazilian justice system.