Forensic Psychology
About Forensic Psychology
What makes a person competent to stand trial, waive their rights, plead guilty to a crime, or be executed? What are the effects of the "correctional" system on the people who experience it? Forensic psychology is the application of psychological science and practice to the legal system. We will learn about mental status examinations, correctional outcomes, and forensic decision-making — based on current, empirical psychological research.
Who's it for?
I originally designed this course as an addition to the curriculum at Emporia State University for upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate students. Students in ESU's Clinical Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and Forensic Science MS programs have taken it for credit toward the degree. I have offered this version of the course as PY 703/503 (cross-listed graduate/undergraduate special topics) at Emporia State.
Learning Objectives
Identify psychologists' roles in legal, correctional, and forensic settings.
Distinguish between legal and psychological definitions of common psycholegal ideas, like competence and insanity.
Discuss ethical and legal duties in forensic practice.
Assess the scientific foundations of psycholegal questions and assumptions, like mens rea and recovered memories.
Compare and contrast forensic assessment instruments, including MacCAT-CA, ESCT-R, GSS, and more.
Critique the use of psychological assessments (including forensic assessment instruments) in forensic and legal contexts.
Propose empirically-based interventions that will benefit legal-involved individuals, like defendants, police officers, and people who are incarcerated.
Course Structure
Because the course is cross-listed and attracts a wide variety of students, I've recently tried a new course structure, allowing students to complete elective modules based on their own areas of interest. Students said the following:
I also enjoyed choosing what module I’d prefer to work on out of a selection of different modules offered.
I also liked how you allowed us to pick what we wanted to learn.
Core Modules
All students completed all of the following modules:
Forensic Psychology: Roles & Ethics
Expert Testimony
Wrongful Convictions
False Confessions
Cognitive Bias in Forensic Assessments
Translating Psychological Science into Policy and Practice
Elective Modules
Students could choose 3–4 of these modules:
Defining Competence
Evaluating Competence with Forensic Assessment Instruments
Personality Assessments in Forensic Context
Competence Restoration
Correctional Psychology and Rehabilitation
Cognitive Bias in Forensic Sciences: Background Research
Linear Sequential Unmasking, Evidence Lineups, Forensic Science Reforms