Forensic psychology + Psychiatry

In ________ forensic psychology gained licensure as an independent profession

the late 1970s

Projective Apperception test

• based on an individual’s response to a vague stimulus

• response reveals aspects of their personality or parts of their inner thoughts, wishes or conflicts

• ex. Rorschach inkblot test

Thematic Apperception test

• an individual is shown pictures that depict everyday situations and they have to create a story based on those images

• reveals their inner thoughts, conflicts, wishes, feelings and motives

2 things personality inventories show us

• The personality traits that provide a general personality profile

• The characteristics that might not be used for findings

Malingering

The conscious attempt to pretend that a mental illness is affecting you

• used to avoid criminal responsibility or to be released from prison

Dissimulation

a deliberate attempt to deny symptoms of a mental disorder

• used to create a rational motive behind their crime

3 things a defendant must understand to be competent for trial

• The nature of charges

• Consequences of the charges

• Proceedings and roles inside the courtroom

What rule do most state look at to determine insanity?

McNaughton rule, that states if, “the person was suffering from such mental infirmity or disease that they did not know the nature and quality of their actions”

2 parts of a crime

• Actus reus, the guilty act

• Mens reus, the guilty intent

Diminished Capacity

Pennsylvania: the concept of diminished capacity reduces the degree of homicide from first-degree to third-degree

New Jersey: It is the total defense that if a person is found to have diminished capacity then they may be free of their charges

A ___________ can be called to determine the competency of the defendant to be sentenced to death.

psychiatrist

Profiling in Behavioral Analysis

The identification of certain characteristics of an unidentified offender based on the way they committed a violent act and their interactions with the victim

Organized offenders

These offenders use plenty of thought in regards to dealing with the victim. There is lots of planning put towards preventing identification.

Disorganized offenders

They are are chaotic and messy with their crimes always using impulsiveness and are thoughtless towards their crime.

Premeditation

When fantasies are used to organize a collection of deviant thinking into a criminal thought.,

Signature

The criminal thought pattern and acting out of fantasies that are characteristic of a specific offender, often leaving a unique mark or behavior at the crime scene.

Modus operandi

The characteristics, habits or the particular way a criminal operates to commit crimes, which can evolve over time as they gain experience.

3 characteristics profiling may focus on

• Sex

• Criminal History

• Interpersonal skils

Can profiling characteristics be used in court as evidence?

No

4 types of victim selection

• A targeted victim

• A victim there in the wrong place at the wrong time

• An idealized victim-type

• An available victim

Victimology

When investigators try to understand a victim’s life and lifestyle to understand information from the crime scene/case.

3 Categories Tophies/Souvenirs (items taken by the offender) can be categorized as

• Evidentiary

• Valuables

• Psychological

Crime Scene Staging

When a crime scene has been tampered with prior to the arrival of the authorities as a way to mislead them.

Internally Inconsistent

Refers to the evidence or details found that don’t necessarily make sense logically or aren’t supported by evidence.

6 things which body disposal location and methodology can reveal

• A prior victim and offender relationship

• Offender’s criminal sophistication level

• Degree of planning by the offender

• Attitude of the offender towards the victim

• If the victim represents a class of people

• Offender’s knowledge of disposal site

2 goals that can be seen when a murder poses a body

• Offends the discovering part or society

• Offender expresses their inner thoughts, anger or hatred towards the victim or others represented by the victim such as prostitutes or drug dealers

Profiling

Most famous application of behavioral science in the current day