Course:



Course: Forensic Psychology

Instructor: James E. Horton

Office: 131 Smiddy Hall

Phone: 328-0136

Email jhorton@uvawise.edu

Webpage

Office Hours: Posted on the Web page

Textbooks: (Required) Wrightsman, Lawrence S. & Fulero, Solomon M. (2005).

Forensic Psychology,

(2nd edition). Thomson/Wadsworth: Belmont, CA

Course Objectives:

This course will cover a variety of topics pertaining to the interaction of psychology and the law. The student will investigate the influence of various psychological principals as they apply to our legal system. The required text will be used as a basis for the class discussions and study with additional readings for specific discussions in class. Your participation in these class discussions is expected. You may also be given assignments requiring you to research and report on specific topics. You will also propose an original research project to investigate the interaction of psychology and some area of the justice system. At the completion of the course, the student should possess a rudimentary knowledge of the role of psychology in the following areas of law.

1. The student should have an elementary working knowledge of the role of procedure in the legal system.

2. The student should demonstrate understanding of the influence of psychology in the role of victims, defendants, judges, police officers and lawyers as they interact with the legal system.

3. The student should understand the influence of psychological principles as applied to various aspects of pretrial and trial activities.

4. The student should understand influence of psychological principles as applied to the eyewitness, the child witness and expert testimony.

5. The student should understand the influence of psychological principles as applied to the decisions of juries and judges.

6. The student should demonstrate an overall understanding of the role of social science in the legal system.

7. The student should demonstrate an understanding of research methods, ethical concerns and investigative procedures

involved in studying the social and legal aspects of the justice system.

Exams:

Your course grade will be determined by your class participation, out of class assignments, and section exams.

Grading:

Section exams 4 @ 25%ea 100%

Computer Skills:

All students graduating from UVa-Wise must be able to demonstrate computer proficiency.  Please refer to p.79-80 of the 2004-2005 College Catalog. If you do not believe that you can meet this requirement, additional instruction will be provided.  See your

advisor.

Honor Code:

The Honor Code of Clinch Valley College is fully supported and each student in this class will be treated as a responsible and

honest adult. Violations of the Honor Code will be prosecuted through the Honor Court.

Special accommodations:

If you have any type of learning disability or problem that might require special accommodations, please inform me at the beginning of the term to enable appropriate arrangements to be made.

Tentative Schedule:

Week Reading Schedule

1 Syllabus & Introduction

Chapter 1 – Forensic Psychology: Promises and Problems

2 Chapter 2 – Forensic Psychologists: Roles and Responsibilities

Outside Reading –From the Lab to The Courtroom: How Psychological Scientists are Having an Impact on the Legal System

Outside Reading –Expert Psychological Testimony

3 Chapter 3 – Psychology and Law Enforcement: Selection, Training, and Evaluation

4 Chapter 4 – Techniques of Criminal Investigation: Profiling, Psychological Autopsies, Hypnosis, and Lie Detection

Outside Reading –Resolving the Offender “Profiling Equations” and the Emergence of an Investigative Psychology

Outside Reading –The Use of Hypnosis to Enhance Recall

Outside Reading –Hypnosis and Suggestion

Outside Reading –Hypnotically Created Memory Among Highly Hypnotizable Subjects

Outside Reading –Outsmarting the Liars: Toward a Cognitive Lie Detection Approach

5 Exam 1

Chapter 5 – Insanity and Competency

Outside Reading –Future Directions in the Restoration of Competency to Stand Trial

6 Chapter 6 – From Dangerousness to Risk Assessments: Violence, Sexual Offending, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Suicide.

Outside Reading –Current Directions in Violence Risk Assessment

7 Chapter 7 – “Syndrome” Evidence: Battered Woman Syndrome and Rape Trauma Syndrome

Outside Reading – Victims of Crime

8 Chapter 8 - Child Sexual Abuse

Outside Reading –Forensic Interviewing Aids: Do Props Help Children Answer Questions About Touching?

Chapter 9 – Child Custody and Related Decisions

9 Semester Break

10 Exam 2

Chapter 10 – Improving Eyewitness Identification Procedures

Outside Reading –Eyewitness Identification

Outside Reading –Improving the Validity of Eyewitness Recollection

Outside Reading –Current Issues and Advances in Misinformation Research

Outside Reading – Lawyers

11 Chapter 11 – Interrogations and Confessions

Outside Reading –Interviewing Cooperative Witnesses

Outside Reading –Suspect Interviews and False Confessions

Outside Reading –The Drug War’s “Incremental Totalitarianism” (Liberator Online)

Chapter 12 – Trial Consultation: Jury Selection, Case Preparation, and Pretrial Publicity

Outside Reading –The Psychology of Trial Judging

Outside Reading –The Utility of Scientific Jury Selection: Still Murky After 30 Years

Outside Reading –Jury Decision Making: Implications For and From Psychology

Outside Reading –Facial Appearance and Criminality

12 Exam 3

Chapter 13 – Discrimination

Chapter 14 – Sexual Harassment

13 Chapter 15 – Death Penalty Trials and Appeals

Chapter 16 – Influencing Public Policy

14 Outside Reading – Practicing Psychology in Correctional Settings: Assessment, Treatment, and Substance Abuse Programs

Outside Reading – Psychotherapy with Criminal Offenders

Outside Reading –Interventions: Punishment, Diversion, and Alternative Routes to Crime Prevention

15 Exam 4

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download