Forensic Psychological Expertise of Emotional States in Forensic Practice

The article explores the possibilities of using forensic psychological examinations of emotional states in forensic practice. Modern methods of conducting and the appropriateness of using psychological and forensic psychological examinations of emotional states of persons who are participants in investigative actions, in particular, suspects, accused or witnesses, are considered. The informativeness of the results of psychological and forensic psychological examinations of emotional states for making certain decisions in legal practice is analyzed. The appropriateness of using forensic psychological examinations of emotional states in criminal and civil cases is substantiated in order to assess the sanity of the defendant, the ability of witnesses to give truthful testimony or the psychological state of victims. The main questions that are raised before experts when prescribing psychological examinations of fear, anger, sadness, distrust, surprise are highlighted. Thus, surprise can be used to assess the veracity of the testimonies of suspects or witnesses. Distrust is the lack of confidence in the truthfulness or integrity of another person or situation. It reflects the fear of the risk of being deceived and often becomes a protective behavior. Psychological examination of fear is carried out in order to identify the nature, causes and its impact on the mental and physical state of a person, their behavior, as well as the ability to adequately respond to circumstances and events. High intensity of fear can affect a person's ability to adequately assess the situation, make decisions quickly and correctly, which plays an important role in legal aspects. Such an examination allows in criminal proceedings to understand whether a person's actions were caused by fear and to what extent it influenced their behavior and actions. Anger, reducing the ability to think rationally, increases the tendency to act impulsively. In judicial practice, such an examination allows you to determine how much anger influenced the actions of the defendant and whether it reduced his ability to adequately react and act. Since sadness is a reaction to injustice and failure, its psychological examination allows you to better understand the internal state of mental processes, which can be important in various kinds of investigations. The ethical principles of conducting an examination of emotional states are considered, in particular the need to maintain confidentiality. The importance of further implementing the most modern achievements of psychological science into the practice of examinations of human emotional states is emphasized.