Psychologists and the Legal System Flashcards
Four roles of Psychologists:
B__ Scientist
A__ Scientist/E__ Witness
P__ Evaluator
A__
basic
applied/expert
policy
advocate
Psychologist as Basic Scientist:
Interested in k__ for its own s__.
Do not seek to a__ their findings.
Heavily invested in the “S__ M__.”
Typically work in a__ environment.
knowledge, sake
apply
scientific method
academic
B__ Scientist: Ethical Considerations
-All p__ studies must be submitted to a university I__ R__ B__ (IRB) for an e__ review.
~Even for minimally i__ studies, the review process takes at least a m__.
- Must be o__ when g__ and e__ data.
- Cannot create f__ data (obviously)
basic
proposed, institutional review board, ethical
intrusive, month
objective, gathering, evaluating
favorable
Psychologist as Applied Scientist:
A__ research (often b__ research) to r__ world p__.
Can be: C\_\_ C\_\_ E\_\_ w_ C\_\_
apply, basic, real, problems
clinicians
counselors
expert witnesses
consultants
Psychologist as Policy Evaluator:
Assess e__ of i__/e__ of s__ changes.
Prepare r__/r__ to i__.
efficacy, interventions/effectiveness, systemic
reports/recommendations, institutions
Relationship of 3 types of Psychologists in the Legal System:
1) B__ Research
- ————->
2) Assess N__ and d__ policy or c__ existing policy. (a__ research)
- ————>
3) E__/a__ effectiveness and report. (p__ e__)
basic
needs, design, change, applied
evaluate/assess, policy evaluator
Applied Scientist as the Expert Witness:
Take k__ from their f__ and use it in real-world s__, for real p__.
Especially cl__/co__, sc__, in__/or__, de__ psychologists
Psychologists can be both b__ and a__.
In l__ settings, psychologists are most often called as an u__ e__ witness by a__ or j__.
knowledge, field, situations, problems
clinical/counseling, school, industrial/organizational, developmental
basic, applied
legal, unbiased expert, attorneys, judges
PSYCHOLOGISTS AS EXPERT WITNESSES:
Three forms of expert testimony:
Social a__: psychologist gives g__ information in a w__ brief that is designed to i__ or c__ the l__.
E.g., B__ v. Board of Education (1954)
Social framework: Information on a s__ topic relevant to a c__, but not giving j__ about the case facts.
~S__ discrimination
~General characteristics of a__ children
~Components of b__ wife syndrome
Social facts: Presents e__ collected specifically to address the c__ facts
~How was this l__ conducted?
~How was the i__ conducted?
~How is p__ in this case p__?
authority, general, written, inform, change, law
brown
specific, case, judgments
sexual
abused
battered wife
evidence, case
lineup
interrogation
publicity, prejudicial
Experts Aren’t Regular Witnesses:
They can give o__, especially in “social f__” testimony
They can answer h__ questions, especially in “social f__” testimony
opinions, facts
hypothetical questions, framework
Laws About Expert Testimony:
Frye standard used by some states:
.. v. F__ (1923)
Testimony must be widely a__ within s__ community, with little/no d__ (l__ detection was not)
Disadvantage: excludes c__ e__ research.
Daubert standard used by some states and f__ system:
Daubert v. Merrell Dow P__. (1993) (drug causing b__ defects)
Testimony must meet _ criteria:
U.S. vs. Frye
accepted, scientific, disagreement, lie
cutting edge
federal
daubert, pharmaceuticals
birth
4
Daubert 4 criteria for expert testimony:
Must be based on the s__ method.
Must be based on o__ h__ testing.
Must contain d__ that’s reasonably r__ upon by other e__.
Has been through p__ review and p__.
Problem with Daubert: now j__ have to be the g__, decide what is “g__ science” despite no s__ training.
scientific
objective hypothesis
data, relied, experts
peer, publication
judges, gatekeepers, good, scientific
Ethics of the Applied Scientist:
Must be just as o__ as b__ scientist, no matter who’s p__ them.
Are often pushed to give black & white s__, but scientists rarely have black & white a__.
~Leads to tension between l__ professionals and s__.
objective, basic, paying
statements, answers
legal, scientists
Psychologist as the Policy Evaluator:
Psychologists have r__ and d__ a__ skills that are needed for accurate e__.
Many legal p__ & g__ can benefit from p__ expertise and assessment.
~Mandatory m__ sentences, allowing jurors to take n__, treatments for s__ offenders, etc.
Sometimes p__ makers won’t l__: S__ P__ Experiment (Zimbardo)
Sometimes they d_: p__ l__ procedures (Wells)
research, data analysis, evaluation
policies, guidelines, psychological
minimum, notes, sex
policy, listen, stanford prison
do, police lineup
Ethics of the policy evaluator:
Like the expert witness, may feel pressure to i__ their findings based on who’s p__.
What if a policy evaluator runs a study with a control group and a new intervention, and the intervention works w__?
~Is it u__ to keep the c__ group at a d__?
Consensus: N_, c__ groups are e__ to s__ studies
interpret, paying
well, unethical, control, disadvantage
no, control, essential, scientific
The Fourth Role, the Psychologist as an Advocate:
Share their k__ with a particular g__ in mind –> no longer o__.
Psychologists act as l__, c__ employees
Advocates are often a__ for c__ in e__ laws or policies
knowledge, goal, objective
lobbyists, company
activists, change, existing
