Forensic Psychology

Length 6 – 8 pages (~1500 – 2000 words) plus references The goal of this assignment is for you to research and learn more about an area of criminal forensic psychology that is of particular interest to you. Whatever your topic, your paper must include citations in APA format from peer-reviewed journals and must include a list of references, also in APA format. (The paper itself does not need to be formatted according to APA guidelines – it doesn’t need a running head, etc.) Feel free to use other, non-academic sources – such as newspaper and magazine articles, websites, and books – but you must buttress the knowledge you gain from these sources with peer-reviewed articles. How many references is enough? This will vary from topic to topic. The best papers from previous semesters had at least 10 (and often more…up to 25+) references, with very few from non-peer-reviewed sources. For help with APA formatting, see the Purdue Online Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ (Links to an external site.) or see http://irsc.libguides.com/apa/ (Links to an external site.) In Canvas, Files > APA Formatting contains a quick guide and detailed information about in-text citations and references, compiled from http://irsc.libguides.com/apa/ (Links to an external site.), plus a document about how to cite court cases. Use ideas from the following or generate your own. I’m happy to bounce around ideas and help you find resources. Discuss the research on false confessions or eyewitness identification, using the case of an individual exonerated by the Innocence Project as an illustration (choose your case carefully – they’re not all good illustrations). Here are some places to start: http://www.innocenceproject.org/demystifying-false-confessions/ (Links to an external site.) http://www.truthinjustice.org/witness.htm (Links to an external site.) SCOTUS declined to grant cert in Dassey v. Dittmann, so we don’t know what the court would have said about the voluntariness of Brendan Dassey’s confession. Using this case (or not), discuss the particular vulnerabilities of juveniles and/or individuals with intellectual disability to police interrogations. APA’s amicus brief in Dassey is here: https://www.apa.org/about/offices/ogc/amicus/dassey.pdf (Links to an external site.) How can a psychologist distinguish religious beliefs from delusions? Discuss why this became an issue in the competency proceedings in the Brian David Mitchell kidnapping case. The judge’s findings and conclusions concerning his competency are here http://wpe.info/vault/reprints/atherton/atherton05.pdf (Links to an external site.) Gun ownership by the mentally ill has been in the news. What do we know about mental illness and gun violence in general or about mental illness and mass shootings in particular? Here’s an interesting article: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/untangling-gun-violence-from-mental-illness/485906/ (Links to an external site.) and here’s some information from the APA: http://www.apa.org/pubs/info/reports/gun-violence-prevention.aspx (Links to an external site.) The diagnosis of psychopathy in children and adolescents is controversial, and it has been the subject of considerable research. What is childhood psychopathy? What does the literature say about the pros and cons of diagnosing psychopathy in children and adolescents? What does the literature say about treatment of psychopathy? Callous-unemotional traits have been a focus of a lot of research…what do we know about CE traits? What do we know about the persistence of psychopathy from childhood into adulthood? (Please don’t try to cover all of these!) Jared Lee Loughner ultimately pled guilty to 19 charges of murder and attempted murder following his attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Use his case to discuss involuntary medication in competency restoration, or use his case to discuss competency restoration more generally. Read the final report from the psychologist who worked with him here http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/42/242b21f8-e253-11e1-9e96-0019bb2963f4/5024073bbb72a.pdf.pdf (Links to an external site.) John Hinckley attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan. Use Hinckley’s recent release as a springboard for discussing post-NGRI release and risk assessment. See the judge’s order here http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/local/judges-opinion-in-hinckley-case/2102/ (Links to an external site.) In four states (including Michigan), 17-year-olds are automatically charged as adults. Should they be? Based on the psychological literature, give arguments for and against. Here’s an editorial: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2018/10/01/opinion-dont-prosecute-17-year-olds-adults/1483100002/ (Links to an external site.) Trace the history of the death penalty in the United States and how psychology has contributed to the limitations placed on it by SCOTUS. Or, read and discuss the literature on death-qualified juries. Here’s a place to start http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/forensic-psychology/the-death-penalty/death-qualification-of-juries/ (Links to an external site.) Thanks to movies and TV shows such as Criminal Minds, Silence of the Lambs, and Mindhunter, the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and their profilers are legendary. What does the research suggest about the accuracy and reliability of criminal profiling?