lec 9 forensic psych Flashcards by claire green

Actus reus

guilty act

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Personality inventories

Highly standardized, objective tests
-Considerable empirical
-assess personality traits in a general way
-Can be used to evaluate specific disorders (e.g. psychopathy)

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Competency to stand trial

A defendant must be free from mental illness that impacts his/her
ability to know what is happening in his/her case

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Premeditation

act of planning or thinking about a crime before it is committed

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Crime scene staging

Tampering of a crime scene to send the investigation off
course and away from offender

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Diminished capacity

individual at time of crime had diminished ability to meet criteria for charges against him
-Could not form specific intent
-Could not act in a knowing/purposeful manner

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Projective tests

tests that are based on the notion that if an individual is shown an ambiguous stimulus and asked to respond to it, response will reveal aspects of their personality

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Disorganized offenders

-Impulsive and thoughtless approach to crime
-Messy and chaotic
-Use readily available tools
-Lack of planning leaves lots of evidence

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Psycholegal

intersection of psychology and law

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Dissimulation

conscious attempt to deliberately attempt to minimize or deny symptoms of a mental disorder
-usually to get released from prison or a hospital

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Psychological autopsies

reconstructs a deceased person’s psychological state and circumstances leading to death
-gathers info from medical records, personal belongings, and interviews with family and friends

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Internally inconsistent

Aspects of a crime scene do not logically fit together
-A pattern will likely be discovered

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Sexual psychopath laws

-Mandated the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders
-Each state had specialized diagnostic and treatment programs

overtime, considered untreatable
-longer periods of incarceration
-treatment secondary

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Signature

-Many killers are not satisfied simply with the murder and feel compelled to express themselves or do something that reflects their unique personality
-killer’s personal expression is his signature
-Typically in fundamentally unusual and disturbing ways
-signature may evolve over time, but the core remains constant

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Simulation/Malingering

Attempt to fake a mental illness to avoid criminal responsibility

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Mens rea

guilty mind/intent

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Souvenir

item taken from victim that signifies a fond remembrance of the crime

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Modus operandi (MO)

the way a criminal operates, criminals said to have different MOs

-type of crime and property that was attacked
-Person
-Time and place
-tools used
- way criminal gained entry
-How victim was obtained (disguises, uniforms, etc.)

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Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

projective tests where person asked to tell as dramatic a story as they can for each picture shown

Organized offenders

-Exhibit clear evidence of forethought
(Premeditation and fantasy)
-Plan and rehearse crime in detail
-Conceive plans to prevent identification and apprehension
-Leave little to chance

Trophy

item taken from a victim that signifies victory or accomplishment

Overkill

homicide where injuries inflicted on the victim are excessive and go beyond what is necessary to cause death

Victimology

Detailed knowledge of victim’s life and lifestyle
-helps piece together personality of attacker

when fantasies are used to organize a collection of deviant thinking into a criminal thought

premeditation

two common types of projective tests

Rorschach inkblot test, thematic apperception test (TAT)

the ultimate driver of criminal actions

human beings and their behaviour

6 key applications of behaviour science in forensics

1. Human Behavior 2. Determine Competency 3. Determine Truthfulness 4. Identify Mental Illness 5. Determine of Sanity 6. Psychological Autopsies

what is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

psychiatrist is a medical doctor, able to deal with medication

who wrote a book that heavily influenced applications of psychiatry?

Isaac Ray - Book: Treatise on the Medical Jurisprudence of Insanity

Clinical psychology did not gain licensure until...?

late 1970s

list the 3 court cases giving Precedent for Psychologists to Testify

People v. Hawthorne (1940)-no magic in medical degree Hidden V. Mutual Life (1957)-permitted psychologists to testify Jenkins v. United States (1962)-allowed psychologists to testify as expert witnesses in criminal cases

3 things psychological testing is used to evaluate

Personality Psychopathology Mental functioning

what is one downfall of the thematic apperception test (TAT)?

people can intentionally create non-revealing answers

3 important factors to consider when determining someone's competency to stand trial

1. person must understand nature of charges 2. consequences of the charges 3. individual's understanding of courtroom procedure

Omnibus Crime Code for Insanity/McNaughten rules

not guilty by reason of insanity: if at time of commission of crime, defendant could not appreciate the criminality of behavior

what is the role of a psychiatrist in determining legal insanity?

Psychiatrist can provide opinion as to the mental illness and effect it has on a person but not an opinion on insanity which is the domain of the trier of fact

legal insanity removes what component of a crime to find the offender not guilty?

mens rea/intent

what impact does diminished capacity have on charges?

can be a complete defense and acquit charges or may just reduce charges

What is the role of behavioral scientists in post-trial sentencing?

may be called to give their opinions about the sentencing of a particular individual -cases where psychiatric treatment or medication is required

what is a psychatrists role in death sentencing?

Psychiatrist testifies whether the defendant is competent to be sentenced to death or executed at a later date -Cases where a defendant requests to be executed (Are they competent to waive their rights under the Constitution?)

criminal profiling

identification of certain characteristics of an unknown, unidentified offender based on the way he committed a violent act and his interactions with the victims

victim selection

-victim is targeted, that typically shows some level of association between the victim and offender Selection Rules -Offender presents an unknown gambit to victim -How they respond determines their fate Evaluation of the Victim -Can the offender control them? -Will they be a special challenge to them?

three categories items taken from victims usually fall under

-Evidentiary items: take items that tend to identify them (MO) -Valuable items: take items to fulfil a need for financial gain -Psychological: take non-valuable items due to an inner compulsion

two causes of crime scene staging

-criminal attempting to throw off investigation -Innocent family members altering a scene (Cover up unacceptable manners of death that conflict with personal values)

Methodology of body disposal can provide insight into

-Offender’s criminal sophistical level -Degree of planning -Attitude of offender toward victim -Body disposal site knowledge