[Parenthood and cooperation in legal custody determination].

Dealing with custody and visitation problems forensic psychology has to refer to the findings and construct-developments of the particular psychological fields. In a discoursive manner this is shown for the crucial concepts of parenthood and cooperation. An expanding number of new studies about parenting and parenthood, mostly in the domain of developmental psychology, is reviewed, status and validity of the scientific constructs and consequences for forensic-psychological affairs are discussed. Gains and desiderata are indicated. The bio-psycho-social character of parenting is emphasized as well as the integration of these elements in an interdisciplinary way. A review of the literature concerning cooperation is less productive. Cooperation is mainly discussed in the realm of conflict-solution and operationalized by variants of the prisoners-dilemma-game. The essence of those approaches and the implications for separation or divorce and regulation of its effects are shown. Findings of psycho-biological studies are added as well as considerations to use them conditionally by analogy. Finally a guide or rather a schema for interviews in familypsychological examination is proposed.