Psychology-III (Forensic Psychology)
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University · LL.B. Semester 3
Unit I — Forensic & Police Psychology
1. Introduction to Forensic Psychology — Definition, Areas of study, Ethical issues. · 2. Police Psychology — Assessment & Intervention. · Use of psychometric measures · 3. Issues in Police Psychology · Assessing the potential for corruption · Use of excessive force · Interrogation & false confessions · Physical coercion versus psychological coercion · Legal recognition of psychological coercion and safeguards — psycho-legal issues · Types of false confessions · — Interrogative tactics to build psychological coercion
Unit II — Investigative Psychology
1. Criminal Profiling — Types, Limitations · Crime scene profiling, suspect based profiling, geographical profiling, psychological profiling, psychological autopsy · 2. Deception & Lying — Behaviour patterns & techniques of detecting deception · Use of Non-Verbal Cues — Emotional approach, cognitive complexity approach, attempted control approach · Use of Verbal Cues — Reality monitoring, strategic use of evidence · Use of Technology — The polygraph, Voice detection, fMRI, Brain fingerprinting · Use of Forensic Hypnosis to aid recall · Reliability, validity, psycho-legal and admissibility issues · 3. Offender Identification — Procedures, cognitive errors in identification · Facial composites, Line ups, Show ups etc
Unit III — Psychology In Courts
1. Decision Making in the Courtroom — Heuristics and implications for legal decision making · Availability heuristics, representative heuristic, anchoring and adjusting, hindsight bias, simulation and counterfactual thinking · 2. Consulting with Courts · Forensic mental health assessments · L! Competency evaluations, Sanity evaluations, presentencing evaluations · Child custody evaluations · Psychological impact of divorce · Doctrines governing resolution of child custody disputes · Developmental considerations · Response patterns associated with malingering · 3. Standards & Issues in Expert Testimony
Unit IV — Correctional Psychology
1. Correctional Psychology in Adult Settings · Goals of Corrections — Incapacitation, Retribution, Deterrence, Rehabilitation, Restoration · Psychological effect of Imprisonment — Adjustment process, effect of overcrowding, effect of isolation · 2. Treatment & Rehabilitation Approaches — Cognitive and behaviorist approaches · 3. Approaches to Juvenile Rehabilitation · Amenability to rehabilitation assessments · Family preservation models — Home builders approach, multi-systemic therapy, functional family therapy · Groups home models · Boot camps · Wilderness and adventure programs
Unit V — Victimology
1. Intimate Partner Violence · Family dynamics associated with intimate partner violence · Developmental cycle · Characteristics of batterers · 2. Child Abuse · Family dynamics associated with child abuse · Types of abuse · Syndromes of child abuse — Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy, Sudden infant death syndrome, shaken baby syndrome, child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome · Psycho-legal issues · Children as witness