Unit 3 Assignment Professor Robinson Megan Faust CJ233: Forensic Psychology Psychologists are very important elements of the legal system because of the many roles they play. Psychologists most commonly perform roles such as advising attorneys on cases, providing research, consulting on trials and jury selection, testifying as expert witnesses, and evaluating trials. However psychologists do not just play an important role in the courtroom setting. Psychologists are also often used by law enforcement, corrections, and even in university settings. Most commonly, in criminal cases these psychologists play big roles in course a trial takes and its outcome.
The tutorial discussion this week was essentially discussing how the system operates and some of the flaws within the system such as false convictions which come about through human error or in extreme cases racial bias (Alberto F. Alesina, Eliana La Ferrara, 2011). There was also discussion about the members of the jury and if they are qualified or competent to decide he guilt or innocence of an individual based on their opinions and perceptions of the trial. My view on the criminal justice system is that overall the system is adequately effective in terms of providing a fair trial for the accused and well suited to punish individuals based on viable evidence and the judgment of experienced judges and magistrates. These issues reflect the interests of the JSB173 unit because the unit focuses on a fair trial through either the
For example a psychologist who works in jails would be studying forensic facts and dealing with psychopathy on a daily basis, unlike a psychologist who could be studying psychotherapy and dealing with children’s behaviours. Each is an expert in their own fields, it is up to the lawyers to decide which to use. Some psychologists can have developmental and social training but can be turned down to be an expert witness because they were missing clinical training. Clinical psychology would be the requirement that the expert would need in order to be considered. In the case of Mohan, he made a list of criteria that would be used for the choosing of the expert witness’s reliability.
There are several definitions brought forward by different psychology bodies and psychologist the world over all in an attempt to give forensic psychology a firm, definate and all encompassing definition. A few definitions are: 1. “Forensic psychology” means all forms of professional psychological conduct when acting, with definable foreknowledge, as a psychological expert on explicitly psycholegal issues, in direct assistance to courts, parties to legal proceedings, correctional and forensic mental health facilities, and administrative, judicial, and legislative agencies acting in an adjudicative capacity. * ‘Speciality Guidelines for Forensic Psychologist’ Law and Human behaviour Vol 16 No 6 1991. 2.
Introduction 2: There are many facts in life that all people will lay claim to ‘knowing’. But in broad and uneasily defined areas, who can say what they ‘know’ and what they simply believe to be true. This essay will look at how ‘knowing’ something can have a different meaning for a psychologist compared to a member of the lay public. To ‘know’ something is ‘to feel certain’ or ‘to have in the mind or memory as the result of experience, learning, or information’ (Webster’s Handy Dictionary, 1992). This essay will evaluate how a psychologist and a member of the public might each reach conclusions or form matters of opinion of which they ‘feel certain’ and how the meanings attached to what they ‘know’ might be different.
The criminal profiler creates a psychological profile or picture of a suspect based on what he/she knows about motivation, mental illness, and also human behavior. The best place to begin getting an idea of a criminal's mind is often at the scene of a crime. Investigators pay particular attention to the things done at the scene or to the victim and also to the things not done. These observations can lead to a behavioral profile of the yet unknown suspect. Once the behavioral profile is done, the profiler can then compare this to other criminals or mental patients with the same basic characteristics.
However the term is now so closely associated with the scientific field that many dictionaries include the meaning that equates the word "forensics" with "forensic science". Forensic science is not just what you see on television shows like CSI but rather the use of actual science to help determine the answer to varied legal questions. There are many different types of forensic disciplines that are used to help police and other officials answer these questions. These include criminalistics, forensic psychology, forensic pathology and others. Criminalistics is the science used to help understand the evidence in crimes.
Forensic photography jobs are appealing to people who have good eye for detail and are very precise in the art of photography. Every image the photographer makes must be precise as possible so investigators have a clear picture that they could use for their work. Sometimes the photographer is required to shoot the same picture but from different angles in order for the evidence to be accurate. The pictures taken from the crime scene may be used in court as evidence if the case goes to trial. The photographer must understand his or her equipment, including the camera and flash.
Through research I have found that my ideal job with these qualities is a Psychologist. There are many different fields of Psychology, but the field that appeals to me is a Social Psychologist. These types of Psychologist examine a person or groups of people’s behavior using experimenting and researching.They also study how people deal with each other and how they deal with the world around them. Psychologists study kinds of religious, political, educational, and family groups. In addition, they may teach at Universities or work for private companies or work in the government.
There are four main goals: to describe, explain, predict and change behavior and mental processes through the use of scientific methods. These goals were set to help psychologists to better understand what factors cause different types of behavior, and are also a thorough way to identify ... ” individuals can decrease the likelihood of a behavior by learning about the conditions that may send them into a predicament. One may think that the problem is solved, but there is still the matter of trying to treat the condition. Finally, we get to the point where we can find out 'how' to alter behavior. It is important to the individual to obtain a typical lifestyle.