Lecture 1

Question 1

Narrow definitions

Answer 1

• Design certain aspects of the profession while ignoring other aspects
• ex. Psychologists doing clinical work

Question 2

Broad definitions

Answer 2

• Inclusive of many profession aspects

- Considering human behaviour in relation to legal system

Question 3

Weiner’s definition of forensic psychology (1997)

Answer 3

Issues arising out of the relationship between human behaviour and the law, legal system and legal process

Question 4

Bartol and Bartol definition of forensic psychology (1987)

Answer 4

• Research endeavor (to inform applied practice)

- A professional practice, or in consultation with a legal system and considers both civil and criminal law

Question 5

Psychology and the law

Answer 5

• Use of psychology to study the operation of the legal system
• “Are eyewitnesses accurate”

Question 6

Psychology in the law

Answer 6

• Use of psychology within the legal system as it currently operates
• Expert testimonies

Question 7

Psychology of the law

Answer 7

• Use of psychology to study the law itself

- “Is the death penalty a good deterrent”

Question 8

Catel (1893)

Answer 8

• Eyewitness testimony
• 56 students questioned, answers often inaccurate
• Found no relation to confidence and correctness

Question 9

Binet (early 1900)

Answer 9

• Suggestibility in children
• Shown objects/images for short period of time, asked to write down what was seen
• Asked misleading questions

Question 10

Stern and Liszt (1910)

Answer 10

• Classroom encounter scenario and recall

- Recall was worse when in emotional situations

Question 11

Von Schrenck-Notzing (1896)

Answer 11

• German expert witness
• Testified about impact of extensive pre-trial press coverage
• Retroactive memory falsification

Question 12

Munsterberg (1908)

Answer 12

• On witness stand
• Psychology and the legal system
• Resistance from legal scholars
• Pushed psychology into legal arena

Question 13

Year psychology came to NA prisons

Answer 13

1913

Question 14

Year for psychological service for police and laboratories to conduct pre-trial assessments

Answer 14

1916

Question 15

Year for tests for personnel selection

Answer 15

1917

Question 16

Varendonck (1911)

Answer 16

• Belgian murder trial
• Children giving different evidence
• Showed inaccurate recall in children

Question 17

Marston (1922)

Answer 17

First professor of legal psychology

Question 18

State vs driver (1921)

Answer 18

First court case where expert testimony is provided by a psychologist

Question 19

Jenkins vs USA (1962)

Answer 19

Court rules some psychologists are qualified to give expert testimony on the issues of mental disease

Question 20

People vs Hawthorne (1940)

Answer 20

Psychology expert status based on extent of knowledge and not medical degree

Question 21

Brown vs board of education (1954)

Answer 21

• 1951 district refused to enroll black child into white school
• Psychologists submitted brief outlining detrimental effects of segregation

Question 22

Benefits of becoming a distinct discipline

Answer 22

• Increase in quality of books
• Increase in academic journals
• Increase in professional associations
• Increase in degree programs
• Training opportunities
• Code of ethics

Question 23

Forensic psychologist as clinician

Answer 23

• Assessment and treatment of offenders
• Custody mediations
• Providing expert testimonies
• Personnel selection

Question 24

Forensic psychologist as researcher

Answer 24

• Examining risk assessment strategies
• Testing ways of conduction eyewitness lineups
• Evaluating offender treatment programs

Question 25

Forensic psychologist as legal scholar

Answer 25

- Engage in scholarly analysis of mental health law | - Policy analysis

Question 26

Functions of expert witness

Answer 26

- Aid in understanding particular issue relevant to the case - Provide an opinion - This contrasts with regular witnesses who can only testify about what they directly observed

Question 27

Frye vs USA (1923)

Answer 27

Resulted in general acceptance test

Question 28

General acceptance test

Answer 28

Scientific evidence must be established that the procedure used to arrive at the testimony are generally accepted in the scientific community

Question 29

Daubert vs Merrall Dow, inc (1993)

Answer 29

- Testimony is admissible if it is provided by qualified expert, relevant, and reliable - The criteria requires the research to be peer reviewed, testable, have a known error rate, and adhere to professional standards

Question 30

R vs Mohan (1994)

Answer 30

Testimony must be: - Relevant - Necessary to assist the trier of fact - Must not violate any rules of exclusion - Must be provided by a qualified expert

Question 31

Tatiana Tarasoff

Answer 31

- Duty to warn/disclose - Must disclose information if harmful to themselves or someone else - Case of patient confessing to therapist his intentions to harm someone