Forensic Testing Flashcards
Define
Therapeutic assessment
an assessment conducted by psychologists with the purpose of assisting and treating a client
Define
Risk assessment
an assessment conducted to determine how risky or dangerous an inmate is for the purpose of sentencing, parole or classification
Define
Malingering
responding or behaving in such a way to present oneself in a negative or positive manner during psychological testing
Define
Forensic psychology
a branch of psychology that specialises in the application of psychological knowledge and skills to the working of the legal and criminal justice systems
Define
Forensic psychological testing and assessment
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
Define
Expert witness
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
Define
Custody evaluation
an evaluation conducted to determined in cases of divorce, abuse or neglect or guardianship which parent should have custody of a child
Define
Competency to stand trial
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
Define
Mental impairment
a legal term that states that a person is labouring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind’
Define
Structured clinical judgement
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
Define
Actuarial
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
Define
Static-99 R
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
Definition
an assessment conducted by psychologists with the purpose of assisting and treating a client
Therapeutic assessment
Definition
an assessment conducted to determine how risky or dangerous an inmate is for the purpose of sentencing, parole or classification
Risk assessment
Definition
responding or behaving in such a way to present oneself in a negative or positive manner during psychological testing
Malingering
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
Forensic psychology
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
Forensic psychological testing and assessment
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
Expert witness
Definition
an evaluation conducted to determined in cases of divorce, abuse or neglect or guardianship which parent should have custody of a child
Custody evaluation
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
Competency to stand trial
Definition
a legal term that states that a person is labouring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind’
Mental impairment
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
Structured clinical judgement
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
Actuarial
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
Static-99 R
__________________ is the intersection of psychology and the law
Forensic psychology is the intersection of psychology and the law
When was forensic psychology recognised by the APA?
2001
What is a forensic psychologist?
A forensic psychologist is someone that applies psychological knowledge and skills within a legal framework or in the criminal justice system.
Forensic psychologsts are often involved in assessment of referred clients to address issues of what?
Judicial decision making
Diagnosis
Prediction of risk
What are the three types of assessment can be used in forensic assessment?
- Forensic assessment instruments
- Purely forensic instruments that are only used in forensic settings
- Forensically relevant instruments
- General measures that have a specific utility in forensic settings
- Clinical instruments
- Parallels to intelligence testing, personality and general clinical assessment, just with population differences
What are the major differences between the law and psychology?
Forensic psychologists are often required to assist the court with a number of decisions including what?
Fitness to stand trial
Not guilty due to mental impairment
Custody evaluations
Bail recommendations
What are the three jurisdictions recognised in Australia?
- Criminal (crimes against the public or the Crown)
- Civil (conflicts between individuals or organisations)
- Family (conflicts within families or between partners)
According to Ogloff and Douglas, when is forensic assessment required?
Forensic assessment is required when it is relevant and related to one or more legal standards raised by a case.
What factors could make an individual unfit to stand trial?
Intelletual disability
Mental illness
Cognitive decline
Psychological trauma
Psychosis
When assessing whether someone is not guilty due to mental impairment, what question do we ask?
‘was the individual responsible for their actions at the time of the crime’?
What could cause someone to be not guilty due to mental impairment?
Psychosis, trauma, mental illness etc.
True or False:
Mental impairment is a medically diagnosed condition
False
‘Mental impairment’ is a legal term, not a medical one
Why are juries often reluctant to return a verdict of not guilty due to mental impairment?
sense of injustice
How can not guilty due to mental impairment result in more ‘time’ being served?
Individual could be hospitalised indefinitely
What type of clinical assessments are involved in custody evaluations?
- Interviews will all parties involved
- Personality testing
- Cognitive testing
- Demographic assessment
What are the two types of risk assessment?
Structured clinical judgement
Actuarial
The static-99 R is normed on what population?
Male adult sex offenders
What type of risk assessment is the psychopathy checklist?
Actuarial but it also involves a structured clincial interview
What is the primary purpose of forensic assessment?
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.
In addition to the regular DSM assessment, it is often important to administer additional tests to ensure a client is what?
Telling the truth
What are the limitations of forensic assessment?
- 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
Forensic psychologists work with referred clients to assess:
Select one or more:
Judicial decision making
Prediction of risk
Diagnosis
Prediction of recidivism
Forensic psychologists work with referred clients to assess:
Select one or more:
Judicial decision making
Prediction of risk
Diagnosis
Prediction of recidivism
True or false:
While the ‘law’ seeks the truth, ‘psychology’ seeks justice.
False
Actuarial risk assessments tend to be:
Select one or more:
Predictively valid
Flexible
Transparent
Reliable
Actuarial risk assessments tend to be:
Select one or more:
Predictively valid
Flexible
Transparent
Reliable
Specific tests have been developed to determine whether a client is faking their responses. Faking responses is more formally referred to as
Malingering
