Forensic Psychology Lecture Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, theories, historical figures, and research methods from the forensic psychology lecture notes, designed for exam preparation.

Legal System as a Social Process

A necessary framework for social creatures to function in groups by providing rules and order.

Three Systems of the Legal System

Comprises laws, enforcement mechanisms, and sanctions (punishments or consequences).

Interdisciplinary Understanding of the Legal System

The idea that many different academic disciplines (like psychology) contribute to understanding how the legal system operates.

Psychology's Goal of Understanding (in Legal System)

Focuses on gathering information, basic research, and testing/assessment to comprehend human behavior.

Psychology's Goal of Intervention (in Legal System)

Focuses on promoting change through applied research and treatment.

Legal System's Reliance on Precedent

The legal system relies on past cases and established rulings to guide current decisions.

Psychology's Emphasis on Innovation

Psychology encourages new ideas and methods, driven by curiosity and scientific advancement.

Adversarial Method (Legal System)

A method where opposing sides present their best arguments to arrive at a 'truth' in legal proceedings.

Experimental Method (Research Psychology)

A method used to test hypotheses and arrive at a 'truth' through controlled observation and data collection.

Prescriptive (Legal System)

The legal system is prescriptive, meaning it dictates how people should behave and sets rules.

Descriptive (Research Psychology)

Research psychology is descriptive, aiming to explain and understand behavior as it is, rather than dictating it.

Forensic Psychology

The professional practice and research that addresses human behavior in the legal system, combining psychology and law.

James Cattell

An early researcher who found that eyewitness memory is often inaccurate and that confidence does not equal accuracy.

Alfred Binet

An early researcher who demonstrated that children’s testimony can be easily influenced by suggestive questions.

William Stern

An early researcher who conducted 'reality experiments' and found that memory is worst during emotional moments.

Schrenck-Notzing (1896)

A court case that highlighted how pretrial publicity can distort memory, known as 'memory falsification'.

Varendonck (1911)

A court case that warned courts about the unreliability of child testimony due to their high suggestibility.

Hugo Münsterberg

An advocate for forensic psychology in North America who wrote 'On the Witness Stand' (1908), arguing for psychology's role in legal matters despite initial rejection.

Early U.S. Applications of Psychology in Law

Included the establishment of clinics for juvenile delinquents (1909), pretrial assessment labs (1916), and psychological testing for police selection (1917).

State v. Driver (1921)

A U.S. court case where psychologist testimony was partially accepted.

People v. Hawthorne (1940)

A U.S. court case that allowed psychologists to provide opinions on a defendant's mental state.

Jenkins v. U.S. (1962)

A major turning point U.S. court case where it was ruled that psychologists could testify about mental illness.

Narrow Definition of Forensic Psychology

Focuses solely on the clinical practice of assessment, treatment, and consultation within the legal system.

Broad Definition of Forensic Psychology

Encompasses both research and applied practice in the intersection of psychology and law, which is favored today.

Forensic Psychologist (Clinician Role)

Assesses and treats mental health issues within the legal system, performing tasks like custody mediation, expert testimony, and offender treatment.

Forensic Psychologist (Researcher Role)

Conducts studies on topics related to psychology and law, such as risk assessment, jury decision-making, and eyewitness memory.

Forensic Psychologist (Legal Scholar Role)

Teaches, writes, or debates issues at the intersection of law and psychology.

Psychology AND the Law (Haney's Relationship)

Refers to psychological research conducted to study and understand the law and legal system (e.g., eyewitness accuracy).

Psychology IN the Law (Haney's Relationship)

Refers to the application of psychological knowledge and expertise within legal cases or systems (e.g., expert testimony, hostage negotiation).

Psychology OF the Law (Haney's Relationship)

Refers to the study of the law itself from a psychological perspective (e.g., how laws affect behavior, the role of discretion).

Expert Witness

An individual who provides opinions based on their specialized knowledge and expertise to assist a judge or jury, acting as an educator rather than an advocate.

Epistemology (Psych vs. Law)

Psychology seeks objective truth, while law aims for the most convincing story presented by parties.

Nature (Psych vs. Law)

Psychology is descriptive (explains what is), while law is prescriptive (dictates what should be).

Knowledge (Psych vs. Law)

Psychology relies on aggregate data and group-based findings, whereas law relies on case-specific precedents.

Method (Psych vs. Law)

Psychology uses experimental methods for generalizable findings, while law uses case-by-case analysis.

Criterion (Psych vs. Law)

Psychology uses statistical significance (e.g., p < .05), while law uses standards like 'beyond a reasonable doubt'.

Frye Standard (1923, U.S.)

An admissibility standard for expert testimony requiring that the evidence be 'generally accepted' within the relevant scientific community.

Daubert Standard (1993, U.S.)

An admissibility standard requiring expert testimony to be (1) from a qualified expert, (2) relevant, and (3) reliable (e.g., peer-reviewed, testable, known error rate).

Mohan Standard (1994, Canada)

An admissibility standard for expert testimony requiring evidence to be (1) relevant, (2) necessary, (3) not violate exclusion rules, and (4) provided by a qualified expert.

White Burgess Standard (2015, Canada)

An updated admissibility standard that additionally requires the expert witness to be independent and impartial.

Internal Validity

The extent to which the effects of one variable on another truly reflect reality, allowing for the inference of a causal relationship.

Threats to Internal Validity (Bias)

Factors that can affect the results, such as leading questions, selective data collection, researcher bias, or participant motivations.

External Validity

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other populations, environments, or conditions.

Threats to External Validity

Issues like inappropriate generalization of results or drawing causal conclusions from purely correlational data.

Shalom H. Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values

Proposes universal core values shared across cultures, each with distinct motivational goals, organized in a circular structure illustrating conflicts and compatibilities.

Conservation (Value Dimension)

A value dimension in Schwartz's theory emphasizing tradition, security, and conformity, often reflected in the legal system's resistance to rapid change.

Openness to Change (Value Dimension)

A value dimension in Schwartz's theory emphasizing self-direction, stimulation, and hedonism, representing the legal system’s capacity for slow and careful adaptation (e.g., Charter of Rights).

Self-Enhancement (Value Dimension)

A value dimension in Schwartz's theory that emphasizes individual achievements, like power and achievement.

Self-Transcendence (Value Dimension)

A value dimension in Schwartz's theory that emphasizes concern for the welfare of others and universalism.

Classical School of Criminology (18th c.)

Proposed by thinkers like Beccaria and Bentham, suggesting people choose crime if rewards outweigh risks, and punishment should fit the crime, not be cruel.

Positivist School of Criminology (19th c.)

Proposed that crime is caused by determinants beyond free will, advocating for empirical data and punishment that fits the criminal, forming a basis for rehabilitation.

Anomie (Durkheim)

A concept within sociological theories where a lack of moral bonds or social norms leads to normlessness and potentially crime.

Differential Opportunity (Cloward & Ohlin)

A sociological theory stating that lower-class youth may turn to crime due to wanting success but lacking legitimate means to achieve it.

Miller's Focal Concerns

A subcultural explanation of crime, suggesting lower-class values like trouble, toughness, and excitement contribute to criminal behavior.

MAO-A Gene

A gene linked to an increased risk of antisocial behavior, particularly when combined with childhood maltreatment.

Criminal Thinking Patterns (Yochelson & Samenow)

A psychological theory suggesting that criminals exhibit distinct thought processes characterized by manipulation, blaming others, and a sense of control.

Psychopathy

A personality disorder characterized by traits like manipulativeness, deceitfulness, lack of remorse, impulsivity, and lack of empathy, often a risk factor for violent crime.

Control Theories of Crime

Social-psychological theories suggesting that people are inherently self-serving and will offend unless taught self-control and deterred by external or internal controls.

Containment Theory (Reckless)

A control theory proposing that external (laws, family) and internal (self-concept, conscience) controls prevent crime, and weak controls increase risk.

Differential Association (Sutherland)

A learning theory stating that crime is learned through interaction and communication, involving techniques and motives, occurring when pro-crime definitions outweigh anti-crime ones.

Social Learning Theory (Bandura)

A learning theory positing that crime is learned through observation and modeling of others (family, subculture, media), with key processes being attention, retention, reproduction, and reinforcement.

Multiple-Component Learning Theory (Wilson & Herrnstein)

Suggests that crime results from an impulsive individual's assessment of gains versus losses, making crime more likely with poor conscience and family problems.

Social Labeling Theory

A theory suggesting that deviance is created by societal labels, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy where individuals adopt the labeled identity (e.g., 'ex-con').

Integrative Model of Offending

A comprehensive model that combines various factors (physiological, environmental, psychological dispositions, emotions, cognitions) to explain the complex causes of criminal behavior.

Operationalization

The process of translating abstract concepts into measurable variables for research purposes, ensuring they are valid and reliable.

Correlational Research

A research method that examines natural associations between variables in real-world settings, but cannot infer cause-and-effect relationships.

Experimental Research

A research method that manipulates independent variables under controlled conditions to determine cause-and-effect relationships on dependent variables.

Random Assignment

A key component of experiments where participants are assigned to different conditions equally, controlling for extraneous factors and allowing for causal inference.

Experimental Realism

The extent to which an experiment fully engages participants’ psychological processes, often achieved through deception or cover stories.

Mundane Realism

The superficial similarity of an experimental setting to real-life situations.

Informed Consent

An ethical guideline in research requiring participants to be fully informed about the study's nature before deciding to participate.