Forensic Psychology Revision Semester 2 PDF

[Exam Revision -- Semester 2] **Forensic Psychology** - Review the Biopsychosocial model BIOLOGICAL -- impact on behaviour caused by genetics, ingestion of substances, brain structures, or hormones. PSYCHOLOGICAL -- impact on behaviour caused by an individual's personal characteristics, mental...

[Exam Revision -- Semester 2] **Forensic Psychology** - Review the Biopsychosocial model BIOLOGICAL -- impact on behaviour caused by genetics, ingestion of substances, brain structures, or hormones. PSYCHOLOGICAL -- impact on behaviour caused by an individual's personal characteristics, mental health, beliefs, and past experiences. SOCIAL -- impact on behaviour caused by the impact of other people, society, culture, and social norms. - explain the job of a forensic psychologist referring to the model a forensic psychologist tends to evaluate people already accused of crimes, they evaluate them by making criminal profiles that refer to the biopsychosocial model as their profiles include that. - explain how the biopsychosocial model can be used to explain the cause of criminal behaviour (at least 2 examples for each part) the biopsychosocial model evaluates the possible reasons for the criminal's behaviour. Biologically, a criminal could have head trauma leading to their criminal behaviour or drug ingestion in their life and this was found through using a biopsychosocial model Psychologically, a criminal could have had bad coping skills or a mental disorder causing them to commit the crime. Socially, the criminal could have been abused in their life by their parents or be in a gang causing them to commit crimes. - Criminal profiling - what is its purpose? Criminal profiling is intended to help investigators to accurately predict and profile the characteristics of unknown criminal subjects or offenders - what sort of things does it involve? The crime is compared to similar crimes from the past.\ The crime scene is analysed.\ The life of the victim is analysed.\ The motivation for the crime is analysed.\ A description of the possible offender is developed - compare the top-down and bottom up methods American top down: a classification system using information that is already known from other past crimes. British bottom up: built up from evidence from the PARTICULAR crime scene and from information about the crime scene. - Compare criminal profiling and forensic psychology Criminal profiling: predicts and profiles the characteristics of *unknown* criminal subjects or offenders. Forensic psychology: evaluates *known* people accused of crimes. - Organised vs disorganised crimes Organised: pre-planning the crime methodically. the crime scene was cleaned up after with little to no evidence left behind. Person likely is intelligent and sane enough to organise this. Disorganised: no methodical pre-planning. Evidence left behind or only little cleaned up, DNA left behind. Person is likely not smart, social, or sane. - What is the connection between these biological things and crime - head trauma results of head trauma effects cognitive programs leading to crimes, it is a correlation not causation. - methamphetamine use 95% armed robberies and half of murders could be attributed to taking crystal meth. - Warrior gene Linked to aggression and violence leading to outbursts that may result in criminality. - Discuss Bowlby's theory of Maternal deprivation - 3 parts of the theory 1. A child has an innate ability to form an attachment to one main care-\ giver (usually the mother). 2. The child should receive continuous care from this person for the\ first two years of their lives. 3. If this does not occur, consequences may be delinquency,\ aggression, depression and psychopathy. - 3 attachment types 1. Anxious attachment -- fear of everything going away 2. Avoidant attachment -- detached 3. Secure attachment -- accommodating, generous - Discuss Gottfredson's self-control theory of crime Suggests that an individual's lack of self-control leads to crimes being committed. Children who had been poorly parented had less self-control. - Kohlberg's cognitive theory Human mental processes stages in relation to morality. - stages of moral development 1. obedience and punishment: behaving ethically is driven by the fear of getting caught and punishment. Avoiding punishment. 2. self-interest: rewards and self-interest. "whats in it for me". 3. Interpersonal accord and harmony: act with the goal of fulfilling social roles such as parent, student, sister. 4. Authority and social order: behaviours driven by desiring to maintain a functional society by obeying laws. 5. Social contract orientation: laws are seen as good things that promote the greatest good for people hence resisting to commit unjust laws. 6. Universal ethical principles: treat others as you want them to treat you. - preconventional, conventional, post conventional 1. level one: preconventional -- moral reasoning closely tied to personal concerns 2. level two: conventional -- moral reasoning arises from comparing one's actions with society's expectations. 3. Level three: what is 'law' to what is 'moral' - Heinz ethical dilemma Heinz's wife had cancer and was super sick. Heinz got told by doctor that this chemist made new drug that will heal his wife. He went there and the chemist had the price 10 times more than it was. Heinz borrowed money and still wasn't enough, so he begged the chemist to lower the price and chemist refused. So Heinz stole the drug that night. The answers people give determines their moral development. - Psychopathy Personality disorder. It features antisocial behaviour, a lack of empathy and remorse and a lack of inhibition. - Symptoms Experience low levels of fear and feelings of invincibility.\ Have an inability to control their impulses.\ Use cruelty to gain control - causes (genetic/environmental) Having a convicted parent\ Being physically neglected\ Low involvement between father and son\ Low family income\ Coming from a disrupted family\ Harsh Discipline\ Poor treatment by peers - DSM -- criteria including current name Current name: anti-social personality disorder A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three or more of the following. - Difference between a psychopath and a sociopath Sociopaths: impulsive and struggle to form stable relationships due to their volatile nature Psychopaths: manipulative tendencies. Do dangerous/criminal activities due to profound lack of empathy and remorse. - DSM - what is it The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a manual compiled by American Psychiatrists that lists the symptoms and criteria of all mental health issues. - how is it used three or more of following symptoms?? - which version are we on DSM-5 - Sympathetic nervous system - flight or fight response arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. Expends energy. - specific examples slows digestion coz we don't need it, dilated pupils to see and react better, blood pumping to heart faster to be prepared to run. - Parasympathetic nervous system Rest and digest. Calms the body, conserving its energy. Digestion back to normal, heart beats slower, pupils de-dilate. - Expressive behaviour - 6 universal facial expressions Happiness, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, Surprise and Anger. - micro expressions Micro expressions are very fast changes in one's face to depict their true emotion, even though they are trying to hide it behind a 'mask' of another emotion - most common expressive behaviours Emotions are also expressed by changes in body posture. \- Slouching\ - Standing Erect\ - The way we hold our heads\ - The way we sit\ - Whether or not we fold our arms - Polygraph -- lie detector - what it measures The polygraph measures heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and galvanic skin response - how/why is it used A polygraph test compares a person's physiological activity while in a relaxed state with their physiological activity when asked an emotionally charged question. Used to correlate certain reactions to certain questions and hence detecting whether the individual is lying. - Limitations Limited because someone who is just nervous or has another arousing emotional response such as lust or sadness can be convicted of lying. A dishonest person can control their heart rate when lying. - control/relevant questions Control Questions are used to establish a baseline physiological response which can be used for comparison purposes. Relevant questions are those which relate to the investigation. **Wellbeing Psychology** 1. Define positive psychology. [Dr Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology says Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. ] Dr martin Seligman says positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive 2. Identify the five elements of wellbeing theory (i.e. PERMA). [Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. ] 3. What does an individual need for it to be said that they are flourishing? Flourishing is the goal of positive psychology. \'Flourishing\' focuses on the strengths and character of the individual to help build resilience to overcome challenges and build well-being. [To flourish, an individual must have the core features of PERMA as well as some additional features such as self-esteem, optimism, resilience, vitality & self-determination. ] BECAUSE to increase flourishing you need to increase PERMA. 4. Which people in the world have the highest levels of flourishing and why? \-\-- ask on Monday \-\-- country 5. Identify the three routes to happiness and give an example of each. 1. [The Pleasant Life - having as many pleasures as possible and the skills to amplify them. Does not necessarily lead to higher life satisfaction. ] 2. [The Good Life - knowing what your signature strengths are, and then re-crafting your work, love, friendship, leisure and parenting to use those strengths to have more flow in life.] 3. [The Meaningful Life - using your signature strengths in the service of something that you believe is larger than you are. ] 6. What are the 6 virtues that the character strengths are divided into? [Virtue 1: Wisdom and Knowledge - Cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge.] [Virtue 2: Courage - Emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal. ] [Virtue 3: Humanity - Interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others. ] [Virtue 4: Justice - Civic strengths that underlie healthy community life. ] [Virtue 5: Temperance - Strengths that protect against excess. ] [Virtue 6: Transcendence - Strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning. ] 7. Using your top three character strengths, describe the strength and explain how you use them. 1. [Spirituality: strong, coherent belief about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe. My beliefs shape my actions and are a source of comfort to me. ] 2. [Bravery: being a courageous person who does not shrink from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain. I speak up for what is right even if there is opposition and I act on my convictions. ] 3. [Fairness: treating all people fairly and giving everyone a chance. I do not let my personal feelings bias my decisions about other people. ] 8. What is the Losada Ratio? [Losada (1999) found that with individuals, marriages, and business teams---flourishing is associated with positivity ratios above 2.9. Likewise, for individuals, marriages, or business teams that do not function so well---those that might be identified as languishing---positivity ratios fall below 2.9.] [For every one negative experience/interaction, 3 positive experiences/interactions are needed to thrive.] 9. How does a Losada Ratio of 3:1 relate to flourishing? (2.9) [It ensures positivity outweighs negativity leading to optimal wellbeing (flourishing). ] 10. What are the benefits of positive emotion? [Provide a buffer against depression and illness, increase problem-solving ability and creativity. ] 11. What is the '3 good things' activity and in research what results did it produce? **\-\-- ask on Monday** **Group of people wrote evry night 3 good things that happened that day and their depression decreased and happiness scores increased.** **For Engagement:** 12. What is flow? [Concentrating completely on the present task to the point you lose sense of time and are truly engaged. ] 13. What are the conditions for flow? (consider skill, challenge and nature of the activity) [Most likely to occur when there is an optimal balance between skill and challenge and is VOLUNTARY. Too much challenge or too little skill disrupts flow. Homework balances skill and challenge, but it isn't voluntary, so it disrupts flow. Watching TV fails to produce flow because it is voluntary but does not produce skill or challenge. ] **For Relationships:** 14. Name the four styles of responding to hearing about good news. 1. [Active constructive (authentic, enthusiastic support) ] 2. [Passive constructive (understated support) ] 3. [Passive destructive (ignoring the event) ] 4. [Active destructive (pointing out negative aspects of the event)] 15. Your friend has just told you they passed their driving test. Give an example for each style of responding to hearing about this good news. 1. [Active constructive ] - [Giving eye contact and genuine reactions + attention "wow!! That's so amazing!! We should go and celebrate because this is so cool and was really important to you, lets do your favourite thing". ] 2. [Passive constructive (understated support) ] - [No eye contact or attention "that's so good". ] 3. [Passive destructive (ignoring the event) ] - [No eye contact or attention, posture away, leaving "hm. Do you know when the math test is?"] 4. [Active destructive (pointing out negative aspects of the event)] - [Frustrated or angry look, furrowed brows, negative physical response "are you sure you're ready for that?? You have a high chance of getting hit on the roads and you don't even need to go anywhere important". ] 16. What does it mean to be assertive? **[Assertive communication allows us to ask for what we want in a way that doesn't override the rights of others. Firm but fair, 'I' statements. ]** **For Meaning:** 17. What are the four needs that underlie the pursuit of meaning? 1. [Purpose ] 2. [Value ] 3. [Self-efficacy] 4. [Self-worth ] 18. What is the relationship between wealth and happiness? [True happiness comes from creating and having meaning in life, rather than from the pursuit of pleasure and material wealth. ] [They found that enough money for basic needs has relation with happiness, anything after than that does not increase happiness] **For Accomplishment (achievement):** 19. What is the achieving life? [Simply achieving, building life around winning (he who dies with the most toys wins), does not promote well being, rather the 'achieving life,' a life dedicated to accomplishment for the sake of accomplishment promotes happiness and well being. ] 20. Why does the idea 'he who dies with the most toys wins' not reflect accomplishment as described in the PERMA model? [Because tangible things do not reflect the wellbeing of the individual as the person who accomplishes for the sake of accomplishing has a more positive wellbeing because they gained satisfaction from the challenge, while the person with] tangible things only gained temporary satisfaction and not form the task it self. 21. Define GRIT. Why is GRIT important? [Duckworth and colleagues combined concepts of persistence and passion into the new concept: GRIT. People who are self-disciplined are higher in GRIT. GRIT leads to success in long term goals as it measures the effort the individual is willing to put in and endure for the sake of that goal. Provides them a mental toughness allowing them to persist and succeed. ] 22. According to Positive Psychology how is accomplishment measured? [Measured in terms of grit and self-discipline]. 23. What is mindfulness? [It is being fully present and aware of our daily activities to become more in touch with the ongoing reality of our lives. ] 24. Describe a mindful activity [Mindfully walking, not thinking about anything else but focussing completely in the present and the trees and sky. The feel of the ground on your feet, the feel of the wind. ] **Science Inquiry Skills** - 3 research designs - Experimental: researcher manipulates an independent variable, random allocation\ Advantages -- manipulating one variable and having control over the others, possible to replicate (reliability) which means you can infer causation.\ Disadvantages -- may be too simple, may not relate to real life, ethical concerns. - Observational: data collected in a natural setting using behavioural observation or self report\ Advantages -- high external validity because its real world data so real word results, allows study of naturally occurring variables, and cant recreate coz of impracticality/impossibility/ethics.\ Disadvantages -- lack of control over variables, no random allocation which means cant infer causation. - Qualitative: focus groups or delphi technique, high detailed data that needs words or images to express.\ Advantages -- complex real world issues are studied, high level of detail and obtaining more information, answers why not just what.\ Disadvantages -- high chance of researcher bias during research collection and interpretation, hard to reproduce results, cant make generalisations. - Identify a design as one of these 3 - Discuss advantages and disadvantages of each - Recognise variables -- dependent, independent, controlled, extraneous - Dependent - what's measured - Independent - what's changed - Controlled -- what stays the same - Extraneous -- things outside of the experiment that can hinder the data - Identify ethical considerations & how they can be addressed -- - informed consent -- tell them what's going to happen and it must be voluntary - right to withdraw -- reinforce they can leave anytime with no obligation and that nothing is MAKING them stay - privacy & confidentiality -- subjects' identity is kept secret by using IDs to address them and their answers - protection of participants -- they should leave the same way they came in (including their mental state) - deception -- clear up deception after the experiment's over - debriefing -- explain what happened after the experiment's over and explain what will happen allowing participants the chance to remove their answers if needed. - Recognise data types: objective, subjective, qualitative, quantitative - Objective -- no personal factors. Not based on opinion - Subjective -- based on an individual's experience or opinion - Qualitative -- detailed data using words - Quantitative -- numerical data - Calculate means & medians - Mean -- average. Sum of all values divided by amount of values - Median -- middle number when all data is chronologically ordered - Analyse qualitative data -- content analysis - Identify 3-5 themes. make a frequency table representing the theme, then a quote that best represents the theme, then frequency. Then write 1-2 sentences analysis about what you found - Analyse graphs & tables - Draw conclusion - Write hypotheses & conclusions - Hypothesis -- if/when... then... because -- statement connecting indepdant and dependant variable - Conclusion -- few sentences summarising whats been found and if hypothesis is supported. - Biopsychosocial model -- understand, recognise, apply - Difference between psychologist and psychiatrist Psychiatrist: prescribes medication Psychologist: diagnose and treat different mental health issues - Methods of data collection -- behaviour count, focus group