Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic PsychologyHealy, William
Science
Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic Psychology
Healy, William
Criminal psychology; Swindlers and swindling
Bessie was given a wide range of mental tests, with the result
that we classified her as being well up to the ordinary in
ability. Indeed, considering her poor school advantages through
frequent changes of residence she did very well in the subjects
covered by formal education. Her memory processes and ability to
testify correctly--in which we were naturally most
interested--seemed, so far as we were able to test them, quite
normal. Of a standard passage about a fire (Test XII), which she
read once to herself, she recalled 17 out of the 20 items. A
passage containing 12 main details (Test XIII), which was read to
her in the usual way four times, she recalled with 2 details
omitted. The ``Aussage'' test (Test VI) was done very well
indeed, with 17 items of the picture given correctly on free
recital, and 5 rejections out of the 7 suggestions proffered.
Bessie's conversation was fluent and coherent, her range of
information was good. She showed fondness for the dramatic
statement.
Her mother died in the old country when she was about four years
old, and her father had immediately come to America, but had
never established a home of his own. For the last nine months
Bessie had been living with a woman, Mrs. S., who was deeply
interested in her. Previously to this she roomed for about six
months with her father and brother, and prior to that time she
had been placed about in different homes by her father. After
some months with Mrs. S. she complained of local pain and
irritation. When taken to a physician, she said her father was
accustomed to touch her, and her story involved incest by both
her father and brother. After others had become interested in
her case, the matter was turned into the hands of the police. It
was notable that during this period Bessie's love of the dramatic
was being fostered by her newly found woman friend, who was
providing her with lessons in dramatic reading and taking her
extremely frequently to moving picture shows and theatres.
When first seen by us, Bessie reiterated her story of sexual
relations with her father and brother. As she had done with
others, and with the judge, she went into almost convincing
details. Her knowledge of such relationships was apparently
complete. She informed us that she had caught ``an awful
disease'' from her father. She said that while rooming with them
her sexual relations with her father and brother were nightly
occurrences. They all slept in one bed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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