Quizlet - Forensic Psychology flashcards for the final exam. Print them double-sided and PDF

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Forensic Psychology flashcards for the final exam. Print them double-sided and then cut out....

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Forensic psychology

forensic anthropology

forensic psychologist

forensic biology

Retroactive memory falsification

forensic odontology

Clinical forensic psychologists

forensic pathology

forensic psychiatry

forensic toxicology

1a

forensic anthropologists examine the remains of decreased individuals to help determine their identity and how they might have died

a field of psychology that deals with all aspects of human behaviour as it relates to the law or legal system

forensic biologists apply their knowledge of the life sciences (e.g. entomology, genetics, botany, etc.) to legal investigations

are interested in understanding the mechanisms that underlie people's thoughts, feelings and actions. They are interested in understanding how people function within a legal context.

forensic odontologists study the dental aspects of criminal activity.

sometimes referred to as coroners, forensic pathologists are medical doctors who examine injuries or the remains of dead bodies in an attempt to determine the time and cause of death through physical autopsy.

forensic toxicologists study the effects of drugs and other chemicals on people within the context of the law.

a process whereby people confused actual memories of events with the events described by the media.

psychologists who are broadly concerned with the assessment and treatment of mental health issues as they pertain to the law or legal system - many have masters or PHD - may specialise to just assessment, or just treatment, but most do both - these professionals have 'clients' that they assess/treat, often related to gauging or lowering risks - Clinical FPs also: mediate in divorces/custody; provide expert testimony; personnel selection; critical incident debriefing; facilitate treatment programs

a field of medicine that deals with all aspects of human behaviour as it relates to the law or legal system

1b

Experimental Forensic Psychologists

Daubert criteria

Psychology and the law

Mohan criteria

psychology in the law

Sheldon's (1949) constitutional theory (biological theory)

expert witness

Jacobs, Brunton, Melville, Brittain, and McClemont's (1965) chromosomal theory (biological theory)

general acceptance test

Nevin's (2000) theory of lead exposure (biological theory)

2a

An American standard for accepting expert testimony, which states that scientific evidence is valid if the research on which it is based has been peer reviewed, is testable, has a recognized rate of error, and adheres to professional standards

Psychologists who are broadly concerned with the study of human behaviour as it relates to the law or legal system - More often PhD trained (and accredited/endorsed supervisors) - Research is often multidisciplinary (e.g. criminology, sociology, medicine overlaps) - The 'clients; for researchers are the courts themselves, or their employers, the people studied are 'participants' - Experimental FPs often conduct research into: program evaluation, jury selection, eye-witness/line-up issues; tool evaluation; personnel

A Canadian standard for accepting expert testimony, which states that expert testimony will be admissible in court if the testimony is relevant, is necessary for assisting the trier of fact, does not violate any exclusionary rules, and is provided by a qualified expert

The use of psychology to examine the legal system

Sheldon proposed that crime is largely a product of an individual's body build, or somatotype, which is assumed to be linked to an individual's temperament. According to Sheldon, endomorphs (obese) are jolly, ectomorphs (thin) are introverted, and mesomorphs (muscular) are bold, Sheldon's studies indicated that, because of their aggressive nature, mesomorphs were most likely to become involved in crime.

The use of psychology to examine the law itself

Jacobs and her colleagues proposed that chromosomal irregularity is linked to criminal behaviour. A normal female has two X chromosomes, whereas a normal male has one X and one Y chromosome. However, it was discovered that there were men with two Y chromosomes, which, it was proposed, made them more masculine and, therefore, more aggressive, according to Jacobs et. al., this enhanced aggressiveness would result in an increased chance that these men would commit violent crimes.

a witness who provides the court with information (often an opinion on a particular matter) that assists the court in understanding an issue of relevance to a case

Nevin was one of the first researchers to propose a link between childhood lead exposure (e.g. from paint and gasoline) and criminal behaviour. Although it was unclear why lead exposure and crime were related in his early research, more recent studies using neuroimaging technology suggest that lead exposure may impact brain development, including regions that are responsible for emotional regulation and impulsive control. Such deficits may increase the probability that one exhibits anti-social behaviour.

A standard for accepting expert testimony, which states that expert testimony will be admissible in court if the basis of the testimony is generally accepted within the relevant scientific community 2b

Merton's (1938) strain theory (social theory)

Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) general theory of crime (psychological theory)

Sutherland's (1939) differential association theory (social theory)

James Cattell

Becker's (1963) labelling theory (social theory)

Alfred Binet

Eysenck's (1964) biosocial theory of crime (psychological theory)

William Stern

Aker's (1973) social learning theory (psychological theory)

Schrenck-Notzing

3a

Gottfredson and Hirschi argued that low self-control, internalised early in life, in the presence of criminal opportunities explains an individual's propensity to commit crimes.

Merton proposed that crime is largely a product of the strain felt by certain individuals in society, typically the lower class, who have restricted access to legitimate means (e.g. education) of achieving valued goals of success (e.g. status). Merton argued that while some of these individuals will be happy with lesser goals that are achievable, others will tun to illegitimate means (e.g. crime) in an attempt to achieve these valued goals).

1895 USA Eyewitness testimony accuracy does not equal confidence

Sutherland proposed that criminal behaviour is learned through social interactions in which people are exposed to values that can be either favourable or unfavourable to violations of the law. More specifically, Sutherland maintained that people are likely to become involved in criminal activity when they learn more values (i.e. attitudes) that are favourable to violations of the law than values that are unfavourable to it.

1900 France Suggestibility of children's testimony free recall v leading questions

Becker proposed that deviance (e.g. antisocial behaviour) is not inherent to an act but a label attached to an act by society. Thus, a "criminal" results primarily from a process of society labelling an individual as a criminal. This labelling process is thought to promote the individual's deviant behaviour through a selffulfilling prophecy.

1901 Germany Eyewitness testimony links with criminology Recall is inhibited by arousal

Eysenck believed that some individuals (e.g. extraverts and neurotics) are born with nervous systems that influence their ability to learn from the consequence of their behaviour, especially the negative consequences experienced in childhood as part of the socialisation and conscience-building process. Because of their poor "conditionability," it is assumed that individuals who exhibits high levels of extraversion and neuroticism will develop strong antisocial inclinations.

1896 Germany Effect of publicity on memory (clinical) Publicity can change memories

Akers suggested that crime is learned in the same way that noncriminal behaviour is learned. According to Akers, the likelihood of becoming a criminal increases when one interacts with individuals who favour antisocial attitudes; when one is exposed to role models, either in person or symbolically, who disproportionally exhibit antisocial behaviour when one defines antisocial behaviour are justified in a particular situation; and when one has received (and expects to receive) a greater degree of rewards versus punishments from antisocial behaviour.

3b

Varendonck

Dealing with crime (reaction phase)

Munsterberg

Police interrogation

Phases of forensic psychology involvement

Reid model

Investigation Phase

Minimisation techniques

Court phase

Maximisation techniques

4a

- Usually dealing with a known offender for a known crime, or future unknown crimes - FPs can offer different kinds of assistance in different contexts ○ Offenders in custody (risk assessment, treatment [rehab programs], management etc) ○ Offenders in community (risk assessment, treatment, management, etc) ○ Crime prevention for various stakeholders (local governments, insurance companies)

1911 Child witnesses

A process whereby the police interview a suspect for the purpose of gathering evidence and obtaining a confession - Confession evidence is often viewed as a prosecutor's "most potent weapon" - In the past, physically coercive tactics were often used to extract confessions from suspects - Although these overt acts of physical coercion have become less frequent with time, some people have argued these tactics have been replaced with more subtle psychologically based interrogation techniques, such as lying about evidence, promising lenient treatment, and implying threats to loved ones.

1908 USA False confessions Father of forensic psychology Criticised for lack of empirical backing

A nine-step model of interrogation used frequently in North America to extract confessions from suspects - Usually consists of a three-part process. ○ The first stage of the process is to gather evidence related to the crime and to interview witnesses and victims. ○ The second stage is to conduct a non-accusatorial interview of the suspect to assess any evidence of deception. ○ The third stage is to conduct an accusatorial interrogation of the suspect if he or she is perceived to be guilty. There is a nine step procedure for this stage - The model is based on the idea that "people make choices that they think will maximise their well-being given the constraints they face)

1. Investigation Phase 2. Court Phase 3. Dealing (responding) to crime (reaction phase)

soft sell tactics used by police interrogators that are designed to lull the suspect into a false sense of security

- Usually dealing with an unknown offender for a known crime - FPs can offer many different types of assistance in on-going cases ○ Profiling (case linkage, motives, staging, personality profiles, threat assessment, etc) ○ Information from witnesses/victims (how IDs should be made veracity of testimony, issues of memory, deception, etc) ○ Suspects (false confessions, deception detection, interrogation, etc) ○ Staff (tunnel vision, confirmation bias, interrogation/interview, etc)

scare tactics used by police interrogators that are designed to intimidate a suspect believed to be guilty

- Usually dealing with a known suspect for a known crime - FPs can offer different types of assistance, usually involving expert testimony - Clinical (competence, responsibility, intent, mitigation) - Experimental (witness IDs, false confessions, investigative issues, etc) - Court appointed (family law mediation/assessments) - Consultant to advocates ( jury selection, jury perceptions, courtroom fashion, etc)

4b

Deception detection

Voluntary false confession

Investigator bias

Coerced-compliant false confession

False confession

Coerced-internalised false confession

Retracted confession

Compliance

Disputed confession

Internalisation

5a

A false confession that is provided without any elicitation from the police

detecting when someone is being deceptive

A confession that results from a desire to escape a coercive interrogation environment or gain a benefit promised by the police

bias that can result when police officers enter an interrogation setting already believing the suspect is guilty

a confession that results from suggestive interrogation techniques, whereby the confessor actually comes to believe he or she committed the crime

a confession that is either intentionally fabricated or is not based on actual knowledge of the facts that form its content

a tendency to go along with demands made by people perceived to be in authority, even though the person may not agree with them

the acceptance o guilt for an act, even I the person did not actually commit the act

a confession that the confessor later declares to be false

A confession that is later disputed at trial

5b

Confabulation

Organised-disorganised model

Criminal Profiling

Classic Trait Model

Linkage Blindness

Geographical profiling

Deductive Criminal Profiling

Geographical profiling systems

Inductive criminal profiling

The mystique of profiling

6a

A profiling model used by the FBI that assumes the crime scenes and backgrounds of serial offenders can be categorised as organised or disorganised

the reporting of events that never actually occurred

a model of personality that assumes the primary determinants of behaviour are stable, internal traits

an investigative technique for identifying the major personality and behavioural characteristics for an individual based upon an analysis of the crimes he or she has committed.

an investigative techniques that uses crime scene locations to predict the most likely area where an offender resides

An inability on the part of the police to link geographically dispersed serial crimes committed by the same offender because of a lack of information sharing among police agencies

computer systems that use mathematical models of offender spatial behaviour to make predictions about where unknown serial offenders are likely to reside

Profiling the background characteristics of an unknown offender based on evidence left at the crime scenes by that particular offender

"A great deal of the mystique surrounding the art of profiling disappears when one realises that a large amount of the information provided in a profile is arrived at analytically and logically" (Hazelwood, R. R., & Burgess, A. W. (2006). Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation. (4th ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press)

Profiling the background characteristics of an unknown offender based on what we know about other solved cases

6b

Profiling

Characteristics of inductive profiling

The history of profiling

Problems with inductive profiling

Employers profiling? qualifications

Deductive

Types of profiling

Characteristics of deductive profiles

Induction

The problem of deduction

7a

- Offers characteristics based on previous offenders and their behaviours - Combine research on the crime type into a report - May assume the research is valid or representative of this crime - Offer offender characteristics which are probable use qualifiers ("may be", "is probably") - Not concrete or specific; often refer to this crime by simple comparison (in X research, it was found that...)

- An educated attempt to provide investigative agencies with specific information as to the type of individuals who would have committed a certain crime - The process applied by a criminal investigative analyst in developing an offender's personality characteristics - The process of inferring distinctive personality characteristics of individuals through their crime scene and crime scene behaviours

- Karl Popper, who wrote The Logic of Scientific Discovery identified the problem of induction (1967, p. 4): - "Now it is far from obvious, from a logical point of view, that we are justified in inferring universal statements from singular ones, no matter how numerous: for any conclusion drawn in this way may always turn out to be false: no matter how many instances of white swans we may have observed, this does not justify the conclusion that all swans are white

- Jack the Ripper, Dr. Thomas Bond - Adolf Hitler, Dr. Walter Langer - George Metesky, Dr. James Brussel - Howard Teten & Pat Mullany - Ressler, Douglas et al - Railway Rapist, Dr. David Canter - Jerome Brudos, Brent Turvey

- A statement is deductive when it must be true, if the information or evidence on which it is based is true - Conclusions follow logically; no space aliens, nothing that isn't true of this world (reality-oriented, susceptible to testing) - Direct extension of the scientific method (falsification is key!)

- Profilers can work anywhere, LE, private, Prosecutor's office, media - Anyone can call themselves a profiler and many do - Little to no regulation - Poorly defined, open to abuse - Term has taken on a casual meaning to include crime analysts as well - Some are forensic psychologists, many others are not

- Discuss the behaviour in this crime, regardless of other offenders - Try to fully outline/account for available physical evidence - Seek to establish victimology and crime scene characteristics - Deduce offender characteristics from a culmination of the above, not related to past research - Deductive conclusive are limiting, and limited to what can be inferred from the physical evidence

- Two broad types each containing different methods inductive and deductive types - Both based on premises and conclusions - premises are reasons that support the main claim of the argument, conclusions are what is inferred from them - In inductive logic conclusions are made probable by premises - In deductive conduct are made certain by premises - Represent different points of certainty on a continuum

- If no information is available, no conclusion can be drawn - Very time consuming - Proponents sometimes disregard or discount a lot of good research, forgetting that induction plays a major rile in reaching deductive conclusions - May involve more than just the FP. A criminologist, forensic scientist, pathologists, etc. May also be necessary.

- A statement is inductive when it may be true given the available evidence - but not always - You do not know until after the fact whether you are correct - After the fact is when a suspect is caught and found guilty 7b

Profiling methods

Ground truth

Polygraph

Countermeasures

Polygraph disclosure tests

Event-related brain potentials

Comparison Question Test

Truth-bias

Concealed Information Test

factitious diso...