Forensic Psychology Notes

Forensic Psychology

  • Applies psychological methods/principles in the legal system.

  • Involvement ranges from occasional tasks to primary focus.

Becoming a Forensic Psychologist:

  • Paths vary; programs offer electives, tracks, or dual degrees.

  • Clinical work in forensic settings is valuable.

  • APA has a forensic psychology division for student involvement.

Activities of a Forensic Psychologist

  • Assessment is significant; report writing is common (not like CSI).

  • Time is spent with clients/court, but report writing is substantial.

Types of Assessments

  • Include child custody, competency, & guardianship evaluations.

  • Competency evaluations are frequent.

Tests Used in Assessments

  • Objective measures (PAI, MMPI) are preferred over subjective.

  • Cognitive assessments: WAIS, mental status exams.

  • Structured interviews (for competency evaluations).

  • Malingering tests (SIMS) detect faking; use with other data.

  • Forensic assessments can take hours/days due to comprehensive nature.

  • The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) includes tests such as:

    • Block Design

    • Vocabulary

    • Similarities

Competency to Stand Trial

  • Assesses defendant's ability to assist in defense & understand legal process.

  • Judge orders evaluation; clinician writes opinion report.

  • Judges often agree (*80%*) with psychologist assessments.

Process for Competency to Stand Trial

  1. Judge orders evaluation.

  2. Release signed by judge & individual.

  3. Monitor for symptom improvement (esp. schizophrenia).

  4. Assess at baseline functioning.

  5. Conduct assessments:

    • WAIS (intelligence test)

    • Structured interview with legal knowledge questions (lawyer, judge, charges, sentence).

  6. Write competency recommendations.

  7. Restoration:

    • If not competent, restore via treatment & medication.

    • May recommend lessening charges.

Research on Competency Evaluations

  • Need for cultural humility in assessment.

  • Minorities may receive severe diagnoses, leading to incompetence findings.

  • Incompetence findings can delay cases.

  • Awareness of biases is essential.

Differences in the Assessment Process

  • Typical assessments: confidentiality unless harm to self/others.

  • Forensic assessments: court-ordered; info shared with judge.

  • Individuals informed of info release; no confidentiality.

  • Cannot force completion; report details lack of participation.

Mental Health Court

  • Programs for offenders with mental health concerns.

  • Involves weekly meetings with judge, drug tests, progress updates.

  • Weekly group/skills therapy.

  • Rigorous rules: curfews, monitoring.

  • Regular drug screenings.

  • Phases increase leniency with progress.

  • Participation lasts 6-12 months.

  • Incentives: decreased charges for full participation.

  • Psychologists may

Forensic Psychology

  • Forensic Psychology: Application of psychological methods and principles within the legal system.

  • Involvement can range from performing occasional tasks related to legal cases to having forensic work as the primary focus of the psychologist's role.

Becoming a Forensic Psychologist:

  • Multiple paths exist to becoming a forensic psychologist; many programs offer specialized electives, specific tracks, or dual degree programs to concentrate studies.

  • Clinical work conducted in forensic settings is highly valuable for practical experience.

  • The American Psychological Association (APA) has a specific division dedicated to forensic psychology, which offers opportunities for student involvement and networking.

Activities of a Forensic Psychologist

  • Assessment activities are a significant aspect of the role; report writing is commonly required to document findings (the real work is not like what is shown in CSI).

    • While time is spent with clients or in court, a substantial amount of time is dedicated to preparing detailed reports.

Types of Assessments

  • Includes conducting evaluations for child custody disputes, determining competency, and assessing the need for guardianship.

    • Competency evaluations are frequently performed.

Tests Used in Assessments

  • Objective measures, like the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) or the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), are favored over subjective measures for their reliability.

  • Cognitive assessments: such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), and mental status exams are utilitzed.

  • Structured interviews: these are used specifically for competency evaluations to gather standardized information.

  • Malingering tests: examples such as the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) are used to detect individuals who may be faking or exaggerating symptoms; these tests are used in conjunction with other data.

  • Forensic assessments: can take hours or even days to complete due to their comprehensive nature.

  • The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) includes tests such as:

    • Block Design

    • Vocabulary

    • Similarities

Competency to Stand Trial

  • Assesses a defendant's current ability to rationally assist their attorney in their defense and understand the legal proceedings against them.

  • The judge orders the evaluation to be conducted; the clinician then writes an opinion report based on their findings.

  • Judges often agree with the psychologist's assessments (approximately 80% of the time).

Process for Competency to Stand Trial

  1. Judge orders the evaluation to assess competency.

  2. Release is signed by both the judge and the individual being assessed to allow the evaluation to proceed.

  3. Monitor for any symptom improvement, particularly important in cases of schizophrenia or other mental health conditions.

  4. Assess the individual’s baseline functioning to provide a comparison point.

  5. Conduct various assessments:

    • WAIS (intelligence test) to evaluate cognitive abilities.

    • Structured interview with legal knowledge questions, which covers understanding of roles (lawyer, judge), charges, and potential sentence.

  6. Write competency recommendations based on the comprehensive evaluation.

  7. Restoration:

    • If the defendant is deemed not competent, restoration efforts involve treatment and medication to improve competency.

    • There may be a recommendation for lessening the charges based on the findings.

Research on Competency Evaluations

  • There is a recognized need for cultural humility in conducting these assessments due to diverse backgrounds of defendants.

  • Minorities may sometimes receive more severe diagnoses, potentially leading to findings of incompetence due to biases.

  • Incompetence findings can cause delays in the progression of cases.

  • Awareness of personal biases is essential for fair and accurate evaluations.

Differences in the Assessment Process

  • Typical assessments: maintain confidentiality unless there is a risk of harm to self or others.

  • Forensic assessments: are court-ordered; information is shared directly with the judge.

  • Individuals are informed that the information will be released to the court and that there is no confidentiality.

  • The individual cannot be forced to complete the assessment; the report will detail any lack of participation.

Mental Health Court

  • Specialized programs designed for offenders who have mental health concerns.

  • Involves weekly meetings with a judge, regular