Forensic Testing

Question 1

Define

Therapeutic assessment

Answer 1

an assessment conducted by psychologists with the purpose of assisting and treating a client

Question 2

Define

Risk assessment

Answer 2

an assessment conducted to determine how risky or dangerous an inmate is for the purpose of sentencing, parole or classification

Question 3

Define

Malingering

Answer 3

responding or behaving in such a way to present oneself in a negative or positive manner during psychological testing

Question 4

Define

Forensic psychology

Answer 4

a branch of psychology that specialises in the application of psychological knowledge and skills to the working of the legal and criminal justice systems

Question 5

Define

Forensic psychological testing and assessment

Answer 5

the collection of relevant and useful data and information using psychological tests and other assessment techniques to assist professionals in the legal and criminal justice systems to make decisions about offenders or those suspected of an offence

Question 6

Define

Expert witness

Answer 6

someone who can or is required to provide factual information as wells as an opinion, based on their background and training in a court of law

Question 7

Define

Custody evaluation

Answer 7

an evaluation conducted to determined in cases of divorce, abuse or neglect or guardianship which parent should have custody of a child

Question 8

Define

Competency to stand trial

Answer 8

an assessment of whether a defendant is able to stand trial because his/her mental state was affected at the time of the offence or at the time of the trial

Question 9

Define

Mental impairment

Answer 9

a legal term that states that a person is labouring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind’

Question 10

Define

Structured clinical judgement

Answer 10

a type of risk assessment that relies on clinical interview techniques. It tends to be flexible, dynamic and informative but this make it also subjective and inaccurate

Question 11

Define

Actuarial

Answer 11

a type of risk assessment that tends to be reliable, consistent and predictively valid. It is also transparent and accountable, which is important for expert testimony. It involves a statistical method of estimating the risk of a particular event’s occurrence

Question 12

Define

Static-99 R

Answer 12

a ten item actuarial assessment instrument for use with adult male sexual offenders. It is the most widely used sex offender risk assessment instrument in the world, and is extensively used in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and many European nations

Question 13

Definition

an assessment conducted by psychologists with the purpose of assisting and treating a client

Answer 13

Therapeutic assessment

Question 14

Definition

an assessment conducted to determine how risky or dangerous an inmate is for the purpose of sentencing, parole or classification

Answer 14

Risk assessment

Question 15

Definition

responding or behaving in such a way to present oneself in a negative or positive manner during psychological testing

Answer 15

Malingering

Question 16

Definition

a branch of psychology that specialises in the application of psychological knowledge and skills to the working of the legal and criminal justice systems

Answer 16

Forensic psychology

Question 17

Definition

the collection of relevant and useful data and information using psychological tests and other assessment techniques to assist professionals in the legal and criminal justice systems to make decisions about offenders or those suspected of an offence

Answer 17

Forensic psychological testing and assessment

Question 18

Definition

someone who can or is required to provide factual information as wells as an opinion, based on their background and training in a court of law

Answer 18

Expert witness

Question 19

Definition

an evaluation conducted to determined in cases of divorce, abuse or neglect or guardianship which parent should have custody of a child

Answer 19

Custody evaluation

Question 20

Definition

an assessment of whether a defendant is able to stand trial because his/her mental state was affected at the time of the offence or at the time of the trial

Answer 20

Competency to stand trial

Question 21

Definition

a legal term that states that a person is labouring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind’

Answer 21

Mental impairment

Question 22

Definition

a type of risk assessment that relies on clinical interview techniques. It tends to be flexible, dynamic and informative but this make it also subjective and inaccurate

Answer 22

Structured clinical judgement

Question 23

Definition

a type of risk assessment that tends to be reliable, consistent and predictively valid. It is also transparent and accountable, which is important for expert testimony. It involves a statistical method of estimating the risk of a particular event’s occurrence

Answer 23

Actuarial

Question 24

Definition

a ten item actuarial assessment instrument for use with adult male sexual offenders. It is the most widely used sex offender risk assessment instrument in the world, and is extensively used in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and many European nations

Answer 24

Static-99 R

Question 25

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the intersection of psychology and the law

Answer 25

**Forensic psychology** is the intersection of psychology and the law

Question 26

When was forensic psychology recognised by the APA?

Answer 26

2001

Question 27

What is a forensic psychologist?

Answer 27

A forensic psychologist is someone that applies psychological knowledge and skills within a legal framework or in the criminal justice system.

Question 28

Forensic psychologsts are often involved in assessment of referred clients to address issues of what?

Answer 28

Judicial decision making Diagnosis Prediction of risk

Question 29

What are the three types of assessment can be used in forensic assessment?

Answer 29

1. Forensic assessment instruments * Purely forensic instruments that are only used in forensic settings 2. Forensically relevant instruments * General measures that have a specific utility in forensic settings 3. Clinical instruments * Parallels to intelligence testing, personality and general clinical assessment, just with population differences

Question 30

What are the major differences between the law and psychology?

Answer 30

Question 31

Forensic psychologists are often required to assist the court with a number of decisions including what?

Answer 31

Fitness to stand trial Not guilty due to mental impairment Custody evaluations Bail recommendations

Question 32

What are the three jurisdictions recognised in Australia?

Answer 32

* Criminal (crimes against the public or the Crown) * Civil (conflicts between individuals or organisations) * Family (conflicts within families or between partners)

Question 33

According to Ogloff and Douglas, when is forensic assessment required?

Answer 33

Forensic assessment is required when it is relevant and related to one or more legal standards raised by a case.

Question 34

What factors could make an individual unfit to stand trial?

Answer 34

Intelletual disability Mental illness Cognitive decline Psychological trauma Psychosis

Question 35

When assessing whether someone is not guilty due to mental impairment, what question do we ask?

Answer 35

‘was the individual responsible for their actions at the time of the crime’?

Question 36

What could cause someone to be not guilty due to mental impairment?

Answer 36

Psychosis, trauma, mental illness etc.

Question 37

True or False: Mental impairment is a medically diagnosed condition

Answer 37

False ‘Mental impairment’ is a legal term, not a medical one

Question 38

Why are juries often reluctant to return a verdict of not guilty due to mental impairment?

Answer 38

sense of injustice

Question 39

How can not guilty due to mental impairment result in more ‘time’ being served?

Answer 39

Individual could be hospitalised indefinitely

Question 40

What type of clinical assessments are involved in custody evaluations?

Answer 40

* Interviews will all parties involved * Personality testing * Cognitive testing * Demographic assessment

Question 41

What are the two types of risk assessment?

Answer 41

Structured clinical judgement Actuarial

Question 42

The static-99 R is normed on what population?

Answer 42

Male adult sex offenders

Question 43

What type of risk assessment is the psychopathy checklist?

Answer 43

Actuarial but it also involves a structured clincial interview

Question 44

What is the primary purpose of forensic assessment?

Answer 44

The primary purpose of forensic assessment is to assist decision makers in the legal or criminal justice systems to address specific legal issues, such as whether a defendant is competent to stand trial or the risk of managing an inmate in a certain way.

Question 45

In addition to the regular DSM assessment, it is often important to administer additional tests to ensure a client is what?

Answer 45

Telling the truth

Question 46

What are the limitations of forensic assessment?

Answer 46

* Self report instruments are prone to malingering. * Structured clinical judgment has issues with reliability and validity * Actuarial formulae have not been developed for many assessment instruments to interpret and predict behaviours. * Age of the discipline * Small sample sizes have been used to validate some forensic psychology instruments * Relatively uncommon occurrence

Question 47

Forensic psychologists work with referred clients to assess: Select one or more: Judicial decision making Prediction of risk Diagnosis Prediction of recidivism

Answer 47

Forensic psychologists work with referred clients to assess: Select one or more: **Judicial decision making** **Prediction of risk** **Diagnosis** **Prediction of recidivism**

Question 48

True or false: While the ‘law’ seeks the truth, ‘psychology’ seeks justice.

Answer 48

False

Question 49

Actuarial risk assessments tend to be: Select one or more: Predictively valid Flexible Transparent Reliable

Answer 49

Actuarial risk assessments tend to be: Select one or more: **Predictively valid** Flexible **Transparent** **Reliable**

Question 50

Specific tests have been developed to determine whether a client is faking their responses. Faking responses is more formally referred to as

Answer 50

Malingering