Exam 1 Study Guide - Tagged

Forensic Psychology Exam Notes

Page 1

• Roles in Forensic Psychology

  • Forensic Digital Analyst

    • Tasked with retrieving and collecting cybercrime evidence.

  • Forensic Meteorologist

    • Responsible for reconstructing weather data for a place and time.

  • Forensic Entomologist

    • Utilizes knowledge of insect development to assist in investigations.

  • Forensic Psychologist

    • Applies clinical knowledge and research to the judicial and legal systems.

Page 2

• Forensic Psychology Distinctions

  • Clinical vs. Forensic Psychologist

    • Forensic psychologists practice in a legal setting.

  • Historical Cases

    • Early case benefiting the field: Jack the Ripper.

  • Focus of Early Forensic Psychology

    • Analyzed offenders and their behavior in relation to crime scenes.

  • Accrediting Body

    • APA (American Psychological Association).

  • Official Recognition

    • Forensic psychology recognized as a subspecialty in 2001 due to criminal profiling development.

Page 3

• Understanding Crime

  • Crime analysis is typically not simple or straightforward; understanding is complex.

• Educational Requirements

  • Minimum requirement: Doctoral degree to become a forensic psychologist.

  • Highest educational degree leading to more career paths: Doctorate.

  • Specific focus in doctoral studies for clinical application implies enrollment in a PsyD program.

  • Medical doctors practicing forensics are referred to as forensic psychiatrists.

Page 4

• Ethical Guidelines

  • Practicing psychologists must operate in trained and competent areas (APA code of ethics).

  • Specialty guidelines for forensic psychologists adopted in 2011.

• Roles in Forensic Settings

  • In forensic settings, psychologists may need to adopt a neutral role instead of client advocacy.

  • Assessing competency related to pleas may lead to discussions of mentally incompetent status.

  • Forensic psychologists can also provide officer training in de-escalation techniques.

Page 5

• Prison System Roles

  • Assist with mental health services and assessments in prison systems.

• Inpatient Forensic Psychiatry

  • Focus may include restoring competency for trial.

• True/False Statements

  • Titles like forensic meteorologist and digital analyst do not perform the same duties as psychologists (False).

  • First responders are a crucial part of public safety.

Page 6

• First Responders' Challenges

  • Job tasks can be dangerous and stressful.

  • First responders may experience internal trauma denial.

  • Types of stress can be categorized as short-term or organizational.

  • Associated stress may lead to negative outcomes like PTSD.

• PTSD Symptoms

  • Hallmark includes recurrent distressing memories and flashbacks.

Page 7

• Support Mechanisms for First Responders

  • Critical Incident Stress Debriefing can help mitigate trauma effects.

  • Circumstances leading to trauma-related symptoms may require intervention.

• Hiring Standards

  • Standards for applying to first responder roles include hiring protocols.

• Psychological Assessments

  • MMPI is often used to assess applicants' personality and psychopathology.

Page 8

• Diversity and Employment

  • Considerations like race and educational background can enhance diversity.

• True/False Statements

  • First responders face situations that are often dangerous (False), they are indeed exposed to such scenarios.

  • First responders reflect an equity perspective in hiring based on diverse backgrounds.

Page 9

• Detecting Deception

  • Cognitive load approach indicates lying involves cognitive strain and may lead to leakage of behaviors that suggest deception.

  • Polygraph measures physiological responses to identify deception.

• Eyewitness Identification

  • Alice's situation highlights own-race bias, a common phenomenon affecting eyewitness accuracy.

Page 10

• Interrogation Techniques

  • The Reid technique applies pressure to encourage confessions.

  • The PEACE model aims to reduce risks of false confessions in interrogations.

• Discrepancy Methodology

  • A method where suspects recount entire stories before noting discrepancies, often enhances truthfulness assessment.