Forensic Psych Exam 1

How does cognitive psychology relate to forensics?

Implicit bias, perception, memory, attention, and decision making

How does social psychology impact forensics?

Stereotypes, prejudice, in-group and out-group biases, moral judgment, and social influences

How does clinical psychology impact forensics?

Diagnosis of psychological disorders, treatment/rehabilitation, profiling, assessment, and the legal insanity defense

How does developmental psychology impact forensics?

Child psychopathology, child attention, child memory, and child decision making

How does neuroscience impact forensics?

Clinical neuroscience, neuroanatomy of memory, culpability, and brain-based technologies (like FMRIs as lie detectors)

What do psychology and the law have in common?

Understanding human behavior, solving problems, and improving lives

How are psychology and the law different?

Psychology is:

• Descriptive: we use data and research to see how people behave

• Explanation based: we're getting to the root of the problem

• Conclusions in a probabilistic way (likelihood)

• Truth: comfortable with uncertainty

• Subjects examined in groups most often

• Constant revision: science is constantly changing and expanding

Law is:

• Prescriptive: the law decides "this is how you need to behave in order to follow the law"

• Regulation-based: doesn't matter what the root is, it matters what the consequence is

• Conclusions are categorical (you're either guilty or not)

• Justice: there can't be any uncertainty when it comes to conviction

• Individuals are examined by themselves

• Precedent: the law remains the same because it was created a certain amount of time ago

Who is Ceasar Lombardo and how is he important to forensic psychology?

He pioneered the school of thought called physiognomy which analyzed people’s facial features and determined if they had bad character traits based on what they looked like

Who was Hugo Munsterburg and how is he important to forensic psychology?

Considered to be the first forensic psychologist, he wrote a book called “On the Witness Stand” and was the first to identify the major connections between psych and law like: witness memory, false confessions, and jury decision making

Brandeis brief

First court document to use psychological data to make a legal argument, Brandeis argued that if mothers were overworked it would negatively impact the welfare of their children and the nation as a whole

Brown vs. Board of Education

Very famous case which ended segregation, argued "a sense of inferiority affects the motivation of children to learn"

Forensic identification

Links physical evidence to a suspect, usually involves comparison between 2 samples

Trace evidence

Includes fragments of physical evidence left at or transported from crime scene

Anthropometry

First scientific identification technique, invented by Alphonse Bertillon. He took 11 measurements of the face to identify people.

Contextual bias

Tendency for extraneous influences (emotions, motivations) in the environment that taint one’s judgement like:

• Knowledge of crime

• Confession

• Police opinion

Frye test

In order for a tool to be used in the courtroom it must meet a general acceptance standard in the scientific community (do a majority of scientists in the community accept this as a valid technique?)- was the standard until 1975

Federal rule of evidence

• Mentions the Frye test but adds that if you're a witness you are qualified to speak if:

  • The testimony is based on sufficient facts or data

  • The testimony is a product of reliable principles and methods

  • The witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case

was the standard until 1993

Daubert standard

Judge decides what scientific evidence is presented

Touch DNA

DNA that can transfer just from touching someone, it's very easily contaminated

Biometrics

• A modern version of Bertillion's anthropometry that identifies and individual person based on measurable anatomical traits

  • Based on distinctiveness, permanence, fidelity, speed, fake-ability, etc.

  • We have face recognition software that businesses can use in surveillance systems (not a lot in the US though)

What is the oldest criminal profile?

Jack the Ripper

Serial killer

Killed 3 or more people in separate events, there is a cooling off period between murders

Mass murder

3+ people killed at the same time

Spree killing

3+ people killed in short time period at different locations

Signature

Something specific done to fulfill or satisfy the offenders emotional state

Organized murders

• Appears well planned

• Victim is specifically targeted

• Body is hidden

• Weapon is removed from the scene

• Restraints often used

• Aggression takes place before death

Disorganized murders

• Appears to be spontaneous

• Victim may be an acquaintance

• Body not well hidden

• Weapon is present

• Aggression or sex post mortem

Visionary

Psychotic, hears voices, sees visions and are motivated by them

Mission-oriented

Kill people they believe are evil

Hedonistic

People who kill others for thrill or sexual pleasure

Power-oriented

Get satisfaction from victim capture and control before killing

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)

Clinical diagnosis categorized by having at least 3 of the following behaviors that significantly impact your life: respectless, deceitfulness, impulsivity, aggression, recklessness, irresponsibility, and remorselessness

Psychopathy

• Categorized by lack of guilt or empathy for others but not a formal diagnosis, usually have the following traits:

  • Usually born with the innate trait

  • Difficulty forming emotional attachments

  • Highly manipulative

  • Rarely feel guilt

  • Can appear charming and trustworthy

  • Educated

  • Hold steady jobs

  • Takes calculated risks

  • Will carefully plan criminal activity to ensure they won't get caught

Sociopath

• Repeatedly breaks rules without any regard for others' or own safety categorized by:

  • Usually made, not born

  • Difficulty forming relationships but may find attachments with like-minded people

  • Impulsive and erratic

  • Difficulty holding down a long-term job

  • Little regard for the consequences of their behavior

  • Easily agitated and angered, commonly accompanied by violent outbursts

  • Their tendency for reckless behavior often increases their chances of being apprehended

Conduct disorder (CD)

•  Repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior where basic rights of others or major age appropriate societal norms and rules are violated diagnosed around 10-16 years old (most have ODD to start)

  • 3+ symptoms in the past 12 months and 1+ symptom in the past 6 months:

    • Aggression to people and animals

    • Destruction of property

    • Deceitfulness or theft

    • Serious violation of rules

Oppositional defiant disorder

• Pattern of negative, hostile, and violent behavior towards authority

  • Child must be younger than 8 years old with 4+ of the following symptoms for 6+ months:

    • Often loses temper

    • Arguing with adults

    • Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults requests or rules

    • Often deliberately annoys people

    • Often blames others for own mistakes

    • Often touchy and easily annoyed by others

    • Often angry or resentful

MacDonald triad

Animal cruelty (lack of remorse), bed wetting (trauma and stress response), and obsession with fire

The dark triad

Psychopathy (impulsive, emotionally cold, remorseless), Machiavellianism (manipulative, self-interested, domineering), and narcissism (entitlement, superiority, grandiose)

Cross-situational consistency

Assumes that personality traits affect behavior the same over time and situations

Predictive/proactive profiling

Creating profiles for people who are likely to commit crimes in order to prevent crime from happening