Course Description
This general survey course provides an introduction to the study of psychology as it relates to the law. It will lead to a better understanding of criminal and civil issues that involve psychological perspectives; including a focus on psychological experts in court, child custody, law enforcement, victimology, violent offenders, risk assessments, and treatment of forensic clinical populations.
Course Content
Psychology and Law Overview
- Canadian legal system.
- Mental health law.
- Roles of forensic psychologists.
Criminal Court
- Eyewitness identification and memory issues.
- Studying juries and jury behaviour.
- Mental state at time of offence (and findings of not criminally responsible).
- Fitness/competency to stand trial.
Family/Civil Court
- Child custody.
- Mediation.
- Assessing psychological/personal injury.
Law Enforcement
- Police use of discretion.
- Psychological selection and evaluation.
- False confessions.
- Assessing deception and malingering in investigations.
Corrections
- The forensic psychologist as a clinician.
- Offender rehabilitation.
Special Populations in the Legal System.
- Mentally disordered offenders.
- Children and juveniles.
- Indigenous Peoples.
Violence and Criminal Behaviour
- Psychological treatment of violent, sexual, and homicidal offenders, and psychopaths.
- Risk assessments.
Victims of Crime
- Psychological assessment and treatment.
Means of Assessment
The course evaluation will be in accordance with Douglas College and Psychology Department policies. Evaluations will be based on the course objectives. The specific evaluation criteria will be provided by the instructor at the beginning of the semester.
An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be:
Two midterm exams (20% each) - 40%
Final exam - 20%
APA Paper - 20%
Group Presentation - 10%
Two pop quizzes (5% each) - 10%
Total - 100%
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course the learner will be able to:
- Describe the relationship between psychology and the law.
- Describe the structure and functions of the Canadian legal system.
- Describe the various roles of forensic psychologists.
- Understand the limitations of eyewitness identification from the perspective of psychological research.
- Understand the role of the psychologist in trial consultation.
- Identify psychological factors in jury behaviour and decision making.
- Explain assessment of mental state at time of offence.
- Explain what it means to be competent to stand trial and how psychologists assess fitness.
- Demonstrate understanding of the role of the psychologist in civil legal disputes (e.g. divorce, psychological injury, child custody).
- Discuss the psychological factors in child custody evaluations.
- Describe psychological assessment methods for selecting and evaluating law enforcement officers.
- Outline the mental health needs of law enforcement personnel and how they may be assessed and supported.
- Identify the methods of assessing deception and malingering.
- Outline the role of the psychologist providing assessment and mental health services in prisons and jails.
- Describe the methods of treatment of mentally disordered offenders and limitations of various treatments.
- Identify the needs of special populations in the criminal justice system.
- Describe methods and limitations of psychological treatment of violent offenders.
- Explain psychological assessments of violence risk.
- Identify the psychological needs of and treatments for victims of crime.
Textbook Materials
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students
Textbook(s) such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:
- Roesch, R., Zapf, P.A., & Hart, S.D. (2014). Forensic psychology and the law: A Canadian perspective. Toronto, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.
- Pozzulo, J., Bennell, C., & Forth, A. (2017). Forensic psychology (5th ed.). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada.
- Porter, S. & Wrightsman, L.S. (2013). Forensic psychology (2nd Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson Canada.