Forensic Psychology in Linguistic Evidence: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Forensic psychology plays a vital role in understanding the psychological dimensions reflected in linguistic evidence within judicial contexts. Language, whether oral or written, not only functions as a means of communication but also mirrors an individual’s mental state, motivation, and behavioral tendencies. Despite its significance, research directly integrating forensic psychology and forensic linguistics remains limited and fragmented. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the contributions of forensic psychology in the analysis of linguistic evidence using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. Literature searches were conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar databases using the keywords forensic psychology, forensic linguistics, and linguistic evidence. The inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed journal articles written in English or Indonesian that explicitly discuss the intersection of the two disciplines, while opinion pieces, editorials, and short reports lacking empirical data were excluded. From the selection process, ten primary studies were identified and thematically analyzed to determine dominant patterns, themes, and contributions. The findings indicate that integrating these two fields significantly enhances various aspects of forensic practice, including testimony analysis, lie detection, witness credibility assessment, threat text analysis, and author identification. Several studies also highlight psycholinguistic indicators such as memory consistency, trauma-related linguistic patterns, and cross-cultural variations in deception strategies. Nonetheless, methodological challenges persist, particularly concerning the reliability of lie detection methods and the transparency of artificial intelligence–based analyses