Forensic Psychology
[COMPANY NAME] UNIVERSITY Shelly All
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Table of Contents What is Forensic Psychology ................................................................... 3 Master’s Degree ......................................................................................... 4 Doctorate Degree ....................................................................................... 5 Case Knowledge ........................................................................................ 6 Specific Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and why they are important ...................................................................................................................... 7
Important Past Research In the Field ..................................................... 8 Diversity Issues .......................................................................................... 9 Ethical Considerations ........................................................................... 10 Eyewitness Testimony ........................................................................... 11 Capacity or Incapacity…………………………………………………………………………….12 False Confessions…………………………………………………………………………………….13 References………………………………………………………………………………………………….14
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What is Forensic Psychology “Forensic Psychology is the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system� (ABPP, 2014).
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Master’s Degree A Master’s degree in forensic psychology will qualify you to be an expert witness in court cases. “They testify about the competency or sanity of a defendant, the emotional state of parents or children in custody cases, and the accuracy of eye-witness testimonies” (Education Portal, 2014).
Another area that you can work is as a jury consultant for lawyers.
Law enforcement is another area to use this degree, “Those with a master's degree in forensic psychology are also qualified to provide counseling referrals to officers and their families” (Education Portal, 2014).
Victim Advocacy is another role, which provides support to victims throughout the court proceedings, also referring services which may prove helpful for the victim.
Work with Juvenile Offenders, as counselors to juveniles in a rehabilitation setting. “Services include victim counseling, substance abuse treatment, life skills training, conflict resolution and anger management counseling” (Education Portal, 2014).
Additional positions for those with a Master’s degree in forensics psychology are Parole officer, social worker, researcher positions, and counselor
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Doctorate in Forensic Psychology A doctorate will allow you to become a licensed psychologist. This is necessary in the United States. The doctorate will allow for a diverse range of employment opportunities. Including:
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Jury Consultant
Evaluate if a criminal is competent to stand trial. Diagnose mental illnesses
Public policy analyst
A Criminal Profiler which analyze motivations of criminals.
A Victim advocate which would include working with victims and their families.
Administrator
Researcher and teacher
Hostage Negotiator
Expert Witness
A Correctional Psychologist, which includes treating inmates for various reasons.
Important Knowledge Case Law
It is important to have an extensive knowledge in case law to understand how the law applies facts in cases, and to understand previous court cases and their outcomes. Knowing past cases can save a great deal of time during preparation for court, citing a case as a precedent affects the outcome of the case. Planning the strategy is half the work for a lawyer, a previous case can allow the plan to be changed to gain the outcome desired.
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Specific Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and why they are important The United States Constitution is the basis for all law, so understanding each amendment is important. Many people know few of the actual amendments only understand the most prominent which are the first 11 amendments. An example of a less well known but important amendment is 25 th amendment which states the order of presidential succession. Each amendment guarantees treatment in some capacity.
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Important past research in the field
Research regarding studies and actual cases will help make assessments based on prior cases. “ Research helps us understand what makes people think, feel, and act in certain ways helps us to understand how intimate relationships, development, schools, family, peers, and religion affect us as individuals and as a society; and helps us to develop effective treatments to improve the quality of life of individuals and groups.:” (Allpsych, 2002).
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Diversity issues
Diversity is important in this field, as with any career in forensic psychology you will be working with a wide range of people. Age, gender, education level, and social status will be varied. Sometimes the victim is the focus and other times the criminal is, you will meet people from every walk of life. This can be difficult for some people as you must never let bias enter into the work. “The discipline of psychology attempts to explain, predict, and describe varying aspects of human functioning and also, to help change and optimize the lives of others” (PsychMajor123, 2014).
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Ethical considerations
Elements of the APA Ethics Code that are most relevant to forensic practice require that psychologists (1) Limit their services to the boundaries of their competence, education, and supervised experience; (2) Base their opinions on information and techniques sufficient to substantiate their findings; (3) Obtain informed consent (from the individual or a legally authorized representative) prior to providing assessment or therapy; (4) Consider individual ethic and cultural differences that might affect the results of psychological testing and evaluations; (5) Clarify their role expectations and extent of confidentiality to their clients, especially when court proceedings are involved; (6) Be aware of and understand the different expert opinions in any case they are involved in, and balance the demands of other psychologists, lawyers, judges, and other professionals and professional entities. (7) Be unbiased and forthright when expressing their assessments and opinions and not be obligated to deliver favorable testimony due to contractual relationships with either side of a case� (Kitaeff 2010).
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Eyewitness Testimony Psychologists who have made a huge impact with their studies include Binet, Munsterberg, Stern, and Whipple; their studies took place in the early 1900’s. “They conducted applied experimental studies
on perception and memory, suggestibility, confessions, lie detection, and hypnotism� (Kitaeff, 2010). This study opened the door the questioning an eyewitnesses testimony. At one time if an eyewitness said they saw a person it was taken as fact but psychology has changed that. Now we must consider the facts involving the eyewitness, such as could they have been lead to testify a particular way. The incident also changes things, for instance a violent incident could cause interference with how the witness remembers facts. Accuracy must be assured.
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Capacity or Incapacity “In the most general of terms, a competent person is one who has sufficient mental or physical capacity, or has legitimate authority to engage in some legally significant act� (Kitaeff, 2010). Once of the most influential studies came from Reisner, Slobogin, & Rai, 2004; Roesch, & Golding, 1980 suggested that having a mental illness does not automatically mean incapacity. Psychologists are called to determine if an individual is competent, this is an important way psychology has changed the criminal justice system.
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False Confessions At once time a confession sealed a guilty verdict, but no longer. A study conducted by Kain and Kiechel in 1996 showed that if a subject was led to believe they did something wrong then they would confess, even if they actually did nothing wrong. Psychology has been able to explain the reasons for false confessions the most prominent one being a coerced confession. This happens mostly during interrogations with law enforcement. During the interrogation the investigator misrepresents facts, even suggest they understand why the individual committed the crime, and interrogation methods have been called into question. Interrogation methods is now a field of study itself, there are many way to get a confession, but not all are fair or even humane. Now a psychologist is called to review the interrogation and meet with the defendant to decide if a confession is even admissible in court.
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References
American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) (2014). Forensic Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.abpp.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3356 Allpsych.com (2002). Psychology 101. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/psychology101/research_methods.html Education Portal (2014). Career Options with a Masters in Forensic Psychology. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/masters_in_forensic_psychology.html Kitaeff, J. (2010). Forensic Psychology. Pearson Learning Solutions, 01/2010. VitalBook file. PysychMajor123 (2014). The diversity of Psychology. Retrieved from http://psychmajor123.hubpages.com/hub/The-Diversity-of-Psychology
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