Forensic Psychology Exam 2

Police Psychology

research and application of psychological principles and clinical skills to law enforcement and public safety

evaluations of police officers

Four points in an officer’s professional
career when assessment may occur:
• Entry level (before or after academy
training)
• Lateral move- experienced police
personnel enter from outside agency
• Promotional testing
• Special assignments (SWAT, undercover
work, special victims, etc.)

Inwald Personality Inventory

Identify negative behavior patterns and personality traits that
might interfere with work as a law enforcement officer

Confidentiality and Privileged Information

In a police psychologist evaluation of a police officer, they do NOT need to do any treatment ONLY gather psychological suitability, and don’t have to report findings

Fitness for Duty Evaluations

FFDE is requested to evaluate an officer whose
behavior, performance, or communications (e.g., life-
threatening incident, stress, excessive use of force,
substance abuse, repeated poor judgment) have raised
some concern about safety and/or job performance

Training of Police Officers

Training in police academy

Continued education

police psychology internship/doctoral internship

Critical Incident Debrief

Common Characteristics of a Critical
Incident:
• Event is sudden and unexpected
• Event may include an element of loss (partner,
physical ability, position)
• Event is a threat to life or well-being
• May result in change in officer’s values,
confidence, ideals, etc.

psychological autopsy

A retrospective examination of social and psychological events prior to an individual’s death; used to determine if the death was accidental or a suicide.

psychological profiling

A technique used in investigative psychology to identify the characteristics of unknown criminal suspects related to a specific crime. It is the process of inferring distinctive personality characteristics of individuals using physical and/or behavioral characteristics of a crime scene.

psychopathology

Any form of a mental illness

Actuarial Prediction

Using data to predict future events

Deinstitutionalization

The process of releasing mental health patients in the 1970s from large mental health hospitals after the discovery of antipsychotic medications and reform that sought to place individuals in the least-restrictive environment.

Specific Deterrence

The assumption that the experience of being punished prevents an individual from reoffending.

Restorative Justice

Addressing both the individual and certain aspects of the individual’s environment to make a successful transition to life outside of prison.

Selective Incapacitation

The confinement of an individual based on presumed dangerousness.

Full Recovery Rule

allowing recovery in a negligence action for infliction of serious emotional distress where “a reasonable person, normally constituted, would not be able to cope adequately with the mental distress occasioned by the circumstances.

General Damages

restitution for the natural, necessary, and usual result of the wrongful act

Impact Rule

permitting “recovery for emotional injury provided there is some physical contact.

Quid Pro Quo

Tit for tat; used to describe sexual harassment when job retention, promotion, or raises are contingent on sexual relations.

Sequella

Psychological or cognitive impairments since the stressor

Changes in lifestyle: occupational, social, vocational

Specific damages

restitution for damages
which are the actual result of the injury, but
not inevitable from the injury but apply in the
current matter for reasons special to the case,
e.g., out-of-pocket costs including medical
bills, therapy bills, etc

Tort

• A tort is a civil matter as opposed to a criminal matter

  • An injured party, (plaintiff) may sue the responsible party (defendant) for compensation for the harm the injured party suffered

  • MUST sue person RESPONSIBLE

• A tort requires showing the defendant breached a legal duty they owed to the plaintiff and that the breach of that duty resulted to the plaintiff

Zone of danger rule

providing recovery for emotional injuries absent any physical contact, which result “from the witnessing of peril or harm to another if the plaintiff is also threatened with physical harm as a conse-quence of the defendant’s negligence.”

Posttraumatic stress disorder

(PTSD)

A severe anxiety disorder resulting from exposure to a traumatic event outside the range of usual human experience.

Bystander proximity rule

permitting “recovery, even if one is not in the zone of danger, provided the complainant: (1) is physically near the scene of the accident, (2) personally observes the accident, and (3) is closely related to the victim.

Best interest of the child standard

Judge deciding best course of action for the child, with regards to custody, school etc.

Immunity laws

As long as psychologists follow APA best practices, they can be immune to counter suits

Least detrimental standard

Standard in child custody used to determine the least harmful option for the child

Tender-years doctrine

Assumes the mother is the most appropriate parent for young children

Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act of 1979

Correction to tender years doctrine, allowing for more fair custody agreements in divorce

Dual relationship

If a forensic psychologist is not just a counselor but also a medicator for a divorce claim

Legal Parental Authority

Concerns the decision making authority of the child's long-term welfare

Physical Authority

Involves decision affecting only the child's daily activities

Sole Custody

One parent has both legal and physical authority

Divided Custody

Each parent has legal and physical decision making powers on an alternate basis

Joint Custody

Both parents share legal authority, but child live mostly with one

Limited Joint Custody

Both parents share legal authority but one parent is given exclusive physical authority

Split Custody

Legal and physical authority of one or more children is awarded one parent and legal and physical authority of remaining children to other

Who decides resolution of Child Custody

Judge

5 necessary elements of a tort

1. The existence of a duty that is legally owed by a defendant to a plaintiff

2. The dereliction or breach of which,

3. Directly or proximately causes an injury that would not have occurred had the duty not be breached

4. The injury caused the actual damage of a significant impairment in plaintiff's functioning

5. That is of the type, by definition, that is compensable under law

Two Major types of torts for Psychological Damages

1. Negligent infliction of emotional stress

2. Intentional infliction of emotional distress