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Mikaela Magnusson

Senior Lecturer

Department of Psychology - Applied Psychology
Telephone
+46 31-786 62 86
+46 766-18 62 86
Mail
mikaela.magnusson@psy.gu.se
Visiting address
Haraldsgatan 1
41314 Göteborg
Postal address
Box 500
40530 Göteborg

About Mikaela Magnusson

Biography

Teaching

Since 2018, I teach on different cognitive and legal psychology courses (undergraduate and graduate level) and supervise student theses at the Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg. My teaching areas include forensic interviewing with adult witnesses and complainants, child forensic interviewing, interrogation of suspects, false confessions, memory psychology, witness psychology, and witness identity parades. I am also responsible for different training seminars in forensic interviewing, including training in the cognitive interview technique and the strategic use of evidence technique. Since 2022, I lecture about investigative interviewing with witnesses, complainants, and suspects and supervise student theses at the Police Program, University of Borås. I supervise students at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels in psychology.

Research Area

Legal psychology, memory psychology, developmental psychology

My research mainly focus on investigative interviewing with children and adults, investigative psychology, crimes against children, domestic abuse, and decision-making in legal contexts.

I have recieved several awards for my research on police interviews with preschool children, including "the PhD Award" by the European Association of Psychology and Law and "Dissertation of the Year" by the Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg.

Current research

2022-2024. Violation of children's integrity: Children's experiences and the legal handling of cases where children have witnessed crimes between relatives. Principle investigator: Mikaela Magnusson. Co-applicants: Malin Joleby, Johanna Thulin. Funded by the Crime Victim Support and Compensation Authority.

2025. Prosecutors' decision-making during criminal investigations of violation of a child's integrity. Principle investigator: Mikaela Magnusson. Funded by the Crime Victim Support and Compensation Authority.

2023-2026. Child interviews with visual tools - for children in need of communicative support. Principle investigator: Sara Landström. Co-applicant: Mikaela Magnusson. Funded by the Crime Victim Support and Compensation Authority.

2025-2027. A helping paw? The role of police dogs during child forensic interviews with vulnerable crime victims. Principle investigator: Mikaela Magnusson. Co-applicant: Emelie Ernberg. Funded by the Crime Victim Support and Compensation Authority

I am also involved in the following research programs:

Multidisciplinary Program on Oral Testimony - Work Package 2: Memory Issues in Relation to Distant and Repeated Criminal Events. The programme is funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Principal Investigator: Pär Anders Granhag.

The use of Expert Reports as evidence in Child Protection Decision-Making - Work Package 3: Norwegian and Swedish judicial decisions i child protection cases. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway. Principle Investigator: Annika Melinder.