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Forensic Psych
Chap 1 Fundamentals of Forensic Psych
24
Psychology
Undergraduate 3
10/20/2011

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Term
Forensic Psychology ("Psychology and the Law")
Definition
branch of Psychology in which psychologists assist the courts in order to resolve legal issues (the intersection of the law and clinical psychology)
Term
Criminal Profiling
Definition
Process by which characteristics of a crime and crime scene are collected, then organized, to narrow down potential suspects (*only ~10% of Forensic Psychologists get involved in this, ~17% find it reliable!)
Term
Clinical Psychology
Definition
branch of psychology that focuses on asessment and treatment of mental illness (*very narrow, forensic psych involves cognitive, physiological, social, & developmental psychology...)
Term
Criminal Law
Definition
the branch of the law that deals with acts against SOCIETY in which the GOVERNMENT respresents society (law enforcement officers, prosecutors,)and brings charges against individuals who violate the law
Term
mens rea
Definition
"GUILTY MIND": principal of criminal responsibility relates to a person's mental state: a person has committed a crime purposefully and willfully. (relevant with cases of insanity- some mental illness prohibits offender from truly "intentionally" committing a crime))
Term
Roper v Simmons
Definition
court case in which juvenile (under 18) determined not to have sufficient mental ability to form mens rea, & can't be responsible for capital crime
Term
Atkins V Virginia
Definition
court case in which mentally retarded offender determined not to have sufficient mental ability to form mens rea, & can't be responsible for capital crime
Term
Capital crime
Definition
crime punishable by death penalty
Term
Civil Law
Definition
branch of law dealing with wrongdoing against an individual; Private rights & remedies, not issues concerning the public
Term
Torts
Definition
(in civil law) acts that cause harm to an individual; it is up to the harmed individual to take action (not society)
Term
4 Requirements for Tort
Definition
*one person must "owe a duty" *that "duty" must be violated
*a suffered harm follows caused by violation of that "duty"(harm to someone else)
*harm must occur, and harm must involve a legally protected right
Term
Proximate Cause
Definition
(in torts) the immediate cause of harm or injury (*if a tree falls on a car seconds before I crash into the car, the tree was the proximate cause of damage to the car, not me)
Term
Circuit Court
Definition
first level of trial courts in state court system
Term
District Court
Definition
first level of trial courts in federal court system (*think D.C.= DISTRICT of Columbia= federal gov't)
Term
Appeals Courts
Definition
reviews the decisions and actions of lower courts
Term
Jurisdiction
Definition
the power of a court to rule in a geographical region (e.g. state, country)*violation of local or state law is in the jurisdiction of state court system. Violation of federal law is in federal system
Term
Statutory Law
Definition
law enacted through legislation by state or federal government
Term
Case Law
Definition
either:
*law enacted through the court's interpretation of a statutory law
*law enacted through the courts when no previous statute exists
Term
Common Law
Definition
law based on court case, but also on tradition and customs (of English colonial origin, the idea that judges have the power to make laws)
Term
Policy Evaluator
Definition
psychologist who use training in research methodology to assess effectiveness of government policies, regulations, & laws
Term
Therapeutic Jurisprudence
Definition
studying whether a law or legal practice promotes psychological and/or physical well-being of the people is affects. (looks at how the law can be helpful or hurtful in some way, also includes looking, less formally, at the actions of judges or attourneys.)
Term
Stare Decisis
Definition
"let the decision stand:" In many cases, prior legal rulings are very powerful & the law/legal system is resistant to changing them
Term
Nomothetic
Definition
refers to general or universal "scientific laws" that apply to groups of people; (Psychology tends to be nomothetic)
Term
Idiographic
Definition
refers to studying specific, UNIQUE events or indiciduals (the law tends to be idiographic)
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