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Click to edit Master title style,Click to edit Master text styles,Second level,Third level,Fourth level,Fifth level,*,Forensic Psychology,Psychology&the Legal System,FSU-PC,Dr.Kelley Kline,Psychology and Law,Psychology,-is the study of human behavior&mental processes.,The Legal system,is used as a formal method by which society uses laws to regulate human behavior.,The concepts of psychological&behavioral science are relevant to every area of law,.,I.What is Forensic Psychology?,It is the application of psychological findings to legal processes,.,This means forensic psychologists may be involved in the,assessment,evaluation,&treatment of criminal offenders,as well as other areas of the legal system(determining mental fitness for trial,etc.),A.,Forensic Psychology-development,Two branches of development in this field:,1.,Psychological research findings have increasingly been used to inform various legal processes.,2.The practice of clinical forensic psychology has become an integral part of the overall field of forensic science.,II.Historical Origins of Forensic Psychology:Eyewitness testimony,Hugo Munsterberg(1908)argued on the basis of psychological research that eyewitness testimony was unreliable&shouldnt be used by the legal system to bolster convictions.,In 1974,Buckhout published the results of an experiment in which subjects(Ss)witnessed a purse-snatching crime&were asked to identify the perpetrator.Only 7 of 52 Ss made the correct identification.,Buckhout concluded,after a series of similar findings,that memory is selective,influenced by other factors,&fallible.He argued that eyewitness identification is faulty over 90%of time.,Why are there so many problems with eyewitness identifications?,1.Humans are fairly unreliable in how we process information.We are heavily influenced by our emotions at the time of the crime(e.g.,rape,assault),may focus our attention on salient features of the crime(e.g.,weapon),unsuitable environmental conditions(e.g.,darkness;rain)&stress may impair recollection.,2.Procedures employed by law enforcement to obtain eyewitness accounts may be flawed.Kassin et al.,(2001),cite the numerous“criminal justice procedures that can seriously affect an eyewitnesses accuracy.Some such procedures used by police include:problems in the wording of questions,line-up instructions,mug shots,induced bias,child witness suggestibility,attitudes&expectations,etc.,DNA to the rescue!,Despite the dearth of research clearly“debunking the reliability of eyewitness accounts,the legal system clung to this as a means to improve conviction rates.,This changed,when DNA evidence became widely available!,DNA evidence proved conclusively that many defendants had been falsely convicted,solely on the basis of uncorroborated eyewitness testimony.,DNA(contd.),In 1999,Attorney General Janet Reno familiarized herself with the literature on the fallacy of eyewitness identification.,Reno then ordered the,National Institute of Justice,to develop national guidelines for use by law enforcement officials when conducting interrogations&collecting eyewitness evidence.,Current view:,Forensic Psychology plays a greater role in the legal system than ever before.,However,it is still new to the field.,III.What does it take to be a Forensic Psychologist?,1.,The traditional approach,-,Ph.D.in clinical psychology with additional training in forensic science.,2.,New approach,-some universities now offer,doctoral degrees in Forensic psychology,.,These programs have a broad background in basic clinical skills&specialized training in areas of law&criminal behavior.,IV.What do Forensic Psychologists do?,Assessment (,conduct tests to assess mental state,IQ,competency,etc.).,Treatment,(providing services to offenders in prisons,treatment/detention centers,&following release from prison).,Provision of testimony in a variety of legal cases,in areas such as family law(custody,visitation),civil law(personal injury,workers compensation,wills&contracts),and criminal law(competencies,sentencing).,V.Problems distinguishing Clinical from Forensic Psychology:,1.Clinical psychologists are trained to administer tests,make assessments,evaluate mental state,&to determine therapeutic outcomes.,These methods arent the most appropriate for dealing with potential offenders.,E.g.,Clinicians arent overly concerned with corroborating the defendants version of events,since they are often trained to believe their clients.,The defendant may be lying or malingering!,2.,Clinicians who are trained in a sub-specialty have to be careful when dealing with new defendants.They may overlook important information that may change their assessment.,E.g.,the Forensic psychologist would make sure they ask for corroborating evidence to support defendants story&ask for all the details outlining the defendants past behaviors,criminal offenses,family history,etc.,A.Case Study 1:,Defendant(A)-22 yr-old male arrested for murder of 18 yr-old friend.,Versions of events given by“A(s
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