Forensic Psychology – Week 5 Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on forensic psychology and related case studies.

Forensic psychology

The application of psychological science to legal issues, including understanding processes in the justice system and human behavior within criminal and civil contexts.

Eyewitness memory

Memory for events perceived by a witness, which is highly vulnerable to biases, errors, and misinformation.

Misidentification by eyewitness

Wrongly identifying a suspect as the perpetrator, a leading cause of wrongful convictions.

False confession

Admitting guilt for a crime not committed, often due to coercive interrogation, sleep deprivation, or language barriers.

Investigative interviewing techniques

Systematic methods used to obtain accurate information from witnesses and victims without bias or coercion.

Video recording of interrogation

Documentation of the entire questioning to ensure transparency and prevent coercive or biased elicitation of confessions.

Exoneration

Officially clearing someone of a crime after evidence proves innocence.

Wrongful conviction

Being found guilty of a crime one did not commit.

Misinformation effect (Loftus et al.)

The phenomenon where misleading post-event information alters memory, leading to false recall.

Leading questions

Question wording that steers a witness toward a particular answer, increasing memory distortion.

Open prison

A prison model prioritizing independence and dignity, with less barrier and more family contact (as in Denmark).

Closed prison system

A secure, restrictive model with high walls, surveillance, and harsher control of inmates.

Recidivism

The tendency of a released offender to reoffend after release.

Reconviction

Being convicted again after release; a measure of recidivism.

Re-arrest

Being arrested again after release; a measure of recidivism.

Reimprisonment

Being imprisoned again after release; a measure of recidivism.

Australian vs Danish prison system

A comparative study showing how policy and design influence inmate experience and outcomes such as safety and recidivism.

Angel Gonzalez case

A case illustrating wrongful conviction due to eyewitness misidentification and a false confession, later exonerated.