HOSA FS: Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology

Actus Rectus

The Guilty Act

Mens Rea

“Guilty Mind” ; a person’s awareness of the fact that their conduct is criminal (the mental element of a crime)

Competency

The determination by the state about whether a person is capable to stand trial

Crime scene staging

When a crime scene is altered in such a way that it would send investigators off course and away from the perpetrator

Diminished capacity

An offender who could not or did not form the specific intent or could not act in a knowing and purposeful manner

Disorganized offender

A type of serial killer classified by unorganized and spontaneous acts of violence

Dissimulation

A conscious and deliberate attempt to minimize or deny symptoms of a mental disorder

Insanity

A mental state in which the individual could not or did not know what they were doing or that what they were doing was wrong

Internally inconsistent

Occurs when a scene has been staged ; all parts of the scene do not fit together in a logical manner

Malingering

A conscious attempt to feign a physical or mental disease

McNaughton rules

Cognitive state test for insanity ; determines if a person can be found guilty or if they were insane during the commission of the crime

Modus Operandi

A criminals method of operation ; based on the principle that a criminal is likely to use the same technique repeatedly in a series of crimes

Organized offender

A perpetrator who exhibits a great deal of though and planning into their crimes ; this criminal maintains control over the victim and leaves little to no evidence to indicate themselves

Overkill

When someone is killed with more force than what is typically necessary to end their life ; typically indicates that the killer either knew the victim and was angry at them or was mentally unstable

Personality inventories

Psychological tests that evaluate personality, psychopathology and mental functioning

Profiling

A psychological investigation of a violent unsolved crime - covers victimology, modus operandi, crime scenes, and characteristics of the offender

Projective

Psychological tests that present a person with an ambiguous stimulus and assumes that their responses will indicate aspects of their personality

Psychology

Pertains to legal issues or questions that are addressed by psychologists or other mental health professionals

Signature

The specific way a killer distinguishes the murders they commit from all others

Souvenir

A victim’s personal item is taken by the offender to remember the crime ; usually indicates that the offender feels inadequate and will keep it for a long time

Thematic Apperception test

A test in which a person is shown a picture depicting various everyday situations and is asked to create a story based on the picture

Victimology

Victims’ history that impacts the analysis of a crime

Eyewitness testimony

Most prevalent area of forensic psychology research

Jenkins v United States 1962

When psychologists were first recognized in court