Forensic Psychology PersonalityGuided Forensic Psych, Craig

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Forensic Psychology (Personality-Guided Forensic
Psych, Craig) The interface between psychology
and law. Psychologists can act as (1) friend of
the court (amicus curiae) (2) consultants (3)
expert witnesses. Child custody evaluations
What is best for the child? Screening applicants
for police or other public safety jobs (e.g.,
nuclear power plant operator) Is this person
stable and reliable? Evaluating offenders Is
this person a pedophile? Is this person likely
to re-offend? Evaluating insanity pleas Is this
person capable of understanding the charges and
participating in his or her own
defense? Evaluating defendants in capital cases
Is this person mentally retarded? Providing
services (e.g., treatment) to offenders and
correctional staff Providing courtroom testimony
Has this person been psychologically damaged?
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Patient 6 days before suicide
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• Forensic Psychology
• Guidelines for a test to be used in forensic
  practice
• Commercially available, with a manual
• Adequate reliability
• Relevant to the legal issue
• Standard method of administration that was
  adhered to
• Applicable to the population and purpose
• Objective scoring criteria
• Measures response styles

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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
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Leader of the Manson Family, a group of mostly
women who followed Mansons pseudo-philosophical
teachings about imminent race war and who
killed a number of people in Los Angeles at
Mansons direction.
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
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Sex offender who murdered approximately one
person per week in summer 1991 in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. Dahmer kept parts of his victims
bodies in his apartment several corpses were
stored in acid-filled vats, severed heads were
found in his refrigerator, and implements for the
construction of an altar of candles and human
skulls were found in his closet.
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Assessment of Aggression and Lethal Violence
Possible questions Should a person be
involuntarily committed because he or she poses a
danger to him or herself or others? Should a
person be released from jail? Should a person
found not guilty by reason of insanity be
released from a psychiatric hospital? Thorough
assessment includes, in addition to personality
testing, interviews with the individual and
others, treatment records, and police
reports. Best predictors of future violence are
history of violent behavior, as well as presence
of antisocial or borderline personality disorder.
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
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Assessment of Aggression and Lethal Violence
What is the average murderers personality?
MMPI 34/43, 48/84, 49/94 But consider the
differences among . . . An armed robber who
kills a store employee in the heat of the
moment A fired employee who commits mass murder
at his former worksite A chronically abused
woman who kills her abuser out of desperation A
drug dealer who takes revenge by providing
lethally strong heroin A man who murdered
someone in a bar fight while drunk
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Police Psychology
Possible questions Is a police applicant
emotionally stable? Is he or she likely to
contribute to corruption and abuse? 80 of
police districts require screening failure to do
so has been construed by the courts as
negligence. Thorough assessment includes, in
addition to personality testing, at least an
interview with the applicant. Certain traits are
associated with successfully performing police
work thoroughness and attention to
detail strong work ethic (dependability and
reliability, low absenteeism) sensitivity and
flexibility in a broad array of situations good
decision-making skills emotional stability Most
common offense absence without leave Most
common complaint abuse or brutality
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
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Child Custody
Possible questions What is the mental and
physical health of all persons involved? What is
in the best psychological interest of the child?
What is the parenting capacity of the parents?
Impression management and deception The L, F,
and K scales
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Present a very positive impression
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Personal Injury
Possible questions Has the patient been
psychologically damaged? What are the emotional
correlates of the patients physical disability?
Is the patient exaggerating or malingering? Worke
rs Compensation accounts for most injury claims,
especially injuries to the head and back and
psychological trauma leading to emotional
disability. There are three types of claim
relevant to psychological practice physical-men
tal a worker receives a severe electric shock
from a machine and then develops a fear of
returning to work on that machine mental-physica
l a worker develops ulcers from constantly
dealing with angry customers mental-mental a
worker develops anxiety after a psychologically
stressful event at work (e.g., witnessing
workplace violence)
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Pseudocyesis
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Pseudocyesis vs. pain patients
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• Forensic Psychology
• Preparation for forensic psychological practice
• Doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program
• State licensure
• Direct and relevant experience in the matters
  before the court (e.g., substance use, violence,
  parenting, PTSD)
• Continuing education as evidence of continuing
  involvement and expertise in the matter
• Attainment of advanced specializations and
  certifications (diplomate status, fellow status
  in serious professional organizations)
• Membership in relevant professional organizations
  and publication of scientific findings in
  peer-reviewed journals