Questions and Answers
What is the primary focus of Clinical Forensic Psychology in Australia?
According to the Biological perspective, what is primarily responsible for the cause of criminal behaviour?
How does the Psychoanalytic perspective view the cause of criminal behaviour?
What method is suggested in the Behavioral perspective for altering criminal personality?
Signup and view all the answers
What aspect of personality does the Humanistic perspective emphasize?
Signup and view all the answers
What is meant by 'Mens Rea' in the context of criminal law?
Signup and view all the answers
How does cognitive perspective view the cause of criminal behavior?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the legal principle of 'stare decisis'?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following is a barrier to accepting psychology within the legal system?
Signup and view all the answers
What is one consideration to increase the acceptance of psychology within legal agencies?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Forensic Psychology Overview
- Clinical Forensic Psychology in Australia focuses on utilizing clinical psychological knowledge for offender rehabilitation.
- Criminal Psychology in the UK involves applying psychological insights to the criminal justice system.
- Law and Psychology in the US emphasizes using psychological knowledge to address legal issues.
- An integrative approach is important for applying psychological concepts to both criminal and civil justice systems.
Biological Perspective on Personality
- Personality is influenced by an individual's biological makeup, affecting thoughts and actions.
- Criminal behavior may stem from biological elements pertaining to cognition and behavior.
- Modification of criminal personality necessitates biological and medical interventions.
Psychoanalytic Perspective on Personality
- Personality is shaped by unconscious factors, childhood experiences, and psychosexual development.
- Criminal behavior can arise from fixations, fostering personality traits that lead to offending.
- Intensive therapeutic intervention is required to change criminal personality traits.
Behavioral Perspective on Personality
- Personality is built through behaviors shaped by reinforcement and punishment experiences.
- Criminal actions can result from strong associations with positive reinforcement or punitive responses.
- Behavioral alteration is achievable via operant conditioning techniques.
Humanistic Perspective on Personality
- Personality is affected by the level of self-actualization and fulfillment of needs.
- Criminal behavior may result from abnormal actions aimed at satisfying unmet lower-level needs.
- Assistance should focus on guiding individuals toward healthier paths for need fulfillment.
Cognitive Perspective on Personality
- Personality stems from the interplay of behaviors and mental processes.
- Criminal behavior arises from dysfunctional mental processes or behavioral patterns.
- Transforming criminal personality involves training or learning that modifies mental processing.
Basic Principles of Law
- Law serves as a regulatory framework established to maintain social order.
- Mens Rea (Guilty Mind) and Actus Reus (Guilty Act) are fundamental concepts for determining criminal guilt.
- The principle of Stare decisis encourages following legal precedents in court rulings.
Criticisms of Psychology in the Legal System
- Psychological research often lacks ecological validity, impacting areas like jury decisions and eyewitness reliability.
- There are concerns about psychology encroaching on legal practices such as jury selection and evidence handling.
Barriers to Acceptance of Psychology
- Academics in psychology may be perceived as disconnected from real-life implications, influencing law enforcement views.
- Agencies typically believe in their competence and might resist collaboration with psychologists.
- Common-sense assumptions about psychology may lead to underestimating its value in legal contexts.
- Psychological insights can threaten the authority of established agency representatives.
- General skepticism exists regarding the applicability of psychology as a scientific discipline within law.
Strategies to Enhance Acceptance of Psychology
- Present psychology as a complementary tool rather than a substitute for traditional justice agency roles.
- Emphasize the need for psychologies in understanding complex behaviors beyond common-sense interpretations.
- Maintain professionalism by not personalizing rejections of psychological principles.
- Use familiar terminology and frameworks from justice agencies to improve communication.
- Highlight commonalities between legal processes and psychological science to foster collaboration.
- Ensure research conducted has ecological validity to make it relevant to real-world justice applications.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the interconnections between psychology and the legal system in this quiz. Topics include the application of psychological knowledge in clinical settings, criminal justice, and legal contexts. Test your understanding of how psychology aids in the treatment of offenders and the enforcement of law.
