Chapter 7: Forensic Science and Forensic Psychology Flashcards
Anthropometry
The science of measuring the size, weight, and proportions of the human body in criminal cases.
What was Bertillon’s contribution to the field of forensic science?
Development of mug shots and crime scene photography. Placed scales beside the objects to demonstrate scale.
What was Locard’s contribution to the field of forensic science?
Locard’s exchange principle and gathering trace evidence.
What is Locard’s exchange principle?
States that whenever objects come in contact with one another, there will be an exchange of material between them.
Trace evidence
Evidence such as blood or other bodily fluids (saliva, semen), fingerprints, hair, teeth marks, fibres from clothing or carpets, flakes of skin left under fingernails, or dirt left on clothing or shoes.
In situ
In its original place.
Identification (ident) officers
Police officers who are given specialized forensic training to investigate major crimes.
Scene of crime officers (SOCO)
Usually police officers, but in rare cases may be civilian members who have taken similar training to investigate minor crimes.
What is the ident officer’s job?
To collect the evidence, ensuring that every piece of evidence collected at the scene is logged, and the location from where it was taken is photographed. Rarely question suspects or become involved in other aspects of the investigation.
What are the 4 protocols that all ident officers must follow when collecting biological evidence?
- Use gloves when taking samples and change gloves each time a new sample is taken.
- Collect “substrate substances,” which are control samples of what is believed to be uncontaminated surfaces near the point where the physical evidence has been collected.
- Use can, disposable forceps, discarding used forceps after collecting each piece of evidence.
- Place all evidence in appropriate containers, with each piece of evidence placed in its own contained usually a plastic bag or some other sterile container.
What has been called the gold standard of forensic science?
DNA evidence.
Reasonable doubt
The standard of belief beyond which the prosecution must prove its case to obtain a criminal conviction; in other words, the defendant’s guilt must be proven to the extent that “no reasonable person” could have a “reasonable doubt” about it.
Forensic psychology
The application of psychological research, methods, theories, and practices to a task faced by the legal system.
Who is said to be the founder of forensic psychology?
Hugo Munsterberg.
What was Munsterberg’s greatest contributions to criminal justice?
Study of eyewitness testimony and the psychology of false confessions.
What did Munsterberg observe about false confessions?
Some false confessions are the result of offenders fearing that, even though they are innocent, they believe the evidence is enough to convict them. Others are because the individual is fatigued as a result of prolonged interrogation.
What did Munsterberg use to support his claim that some false confessions are the result of fatigue from prolonged interrogation?
The Salem Witch Trials.
What are some ways that psychology is used in the criminal justice system?
- Assessing the psychology of police recruits.
- Detecting offender deception during questioning.
- Assessing children as potential witnesses.
- Determining the risk of offenders to reoffend.
- Assessing the sanity of an accused.
- Assessing the reactions of victims.
- Studying jury behaviour.
Cognitive ability tests
Tests designed to measure reasoning, perception, memory, verbal, and written language skills, mathematical ability, and problem solving.
Personality tests
Standardized tests used to measure personality characteristics or discover personality disorders that might affect a person’s ability to perform a specific job.
Situational tests
Tests that present applicants with hypothetical job-related scenarios and ask them to identify appropriate responses from a list of alternatives.
What test is considered to be the gold standard for assessing personality?
MMPI or MMPI-2.
What is the problem with the MMPI and the MMPI-2?
They are not designed as recruitment tools, and is unable to detect some psychological disorders. Also, they cannot distinguish between honest and fake responses.
What does the CPI measure?
Personality characteristics such as dominance, sociability, and flexibility.
