Forensic Psychology Exam Ch. 1-3 Questions with
Certified Solutions
What is criminal profiling and how does it relate to our definition of forensic psychology? - Answer
Forensic psychologists rarely/don't participate in criminal profiling.
According to the survey presented in class, what percentage of forensic psychologists /psychiatrists had
generated a criminal profile? - Answer 11%
Whose job is it to find and apprehend criminals? - Answer Law enforcement officers and NOT forensic
psychologist.
Forensis is Latin for "of the Forum"
What is the role of forensic psychologists? - Answer The role of a forensic psychologist is to assist the
legal system through the use of psychology.
What is our definition of forensic psychology? - Answer The assessment and treatment of individuals
within a legal context.
What were the three issues we discussed regarding Dr. Samuels' testimony in the Jodi Arias case? -
Answer 1.) Dr. Samuels had scored/diagnosed Jodi Arias with PTSD in a unprofessional manner. 2.) Dr.
Samuels provided a self-help book as a gift to Jodi Arias.
3.) Dr. Samuels would often forget what he said/forget to bring certain materials.
What special knowledge and skills are forensic psychologists able to offer the courts? - Answer In class
answers: pleading insanity, measuring risk, assessing and diagnosing disorders, detecting deception,
examining behaviors at time of crime, fitness for duty eval.
What are the primary differences between a forensic psychologist and a forensic psychiatrist? - Answer
A forensic psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) that focuses on psychotropic medication
management, has less training in psychology, and minimal training in psychological testing.
A forensic psychologist is someone with a Ph.D or Psy.D that has more training in psychology along with
psychological assessment and more research training.
, What are the major areas of forensic psychology as it relates to Criminal Law? - Answer These
individuals focus on Violence Risk Assessment, Insanity and Criminal Responsibility, Competency to
Stand Trial, Treatment of Sexual Offenders, and Juvenile Transfer to Adult Court.
What are the major areas of forensic psychology as it relates to Civil Law? - Answer These individuals
focus on Child Custody, Civil Commitment, Personal Jury, Worker's Compensation, and Competency to
Make Medical Decision.
Who can provide court-mandated therapy? - Answer Any licensed therapist (not a forensic
psychologist).
What is therapeutic jurisprudence? - Answer "the use of social science to study the extent to which a
legal rule or practice promotes the psychological well-being of the people it effects" (Slobogin, 1996,
p.767).
How is the legal system an adversarial process? - Answer The legal system has two sides opposing one
another with their own objectives in mind. Throughout the process they are trying to come up with an
outcome that is beneficial for all parties. (although this is not done often at all)
How is the legal system prescriptive? - Answer While psychology is descriptive in that it states how
individuals tend to behave, the law is prescriptive in that it determines how people are allowed to
behave.
What is the primary difference between nomothetic and idiographic? - Answer This is brought up in "The
Conflict Between Law and Psychology." Psychology tends to be nomothetic (focus on the bigger picture
and broader trends), whereas, the law tends to be idiographic (focuses on the situation at hand and not
outside trends).
How is psychology probabilistic, and how is the law certain? - Answer Psychology is probabilistic in that
it looks at things dimensionally or more so on a spectrum. The law is certain in that it's very "yes or no"
with no in between.
Certified Solutions
What is criminal profiling and how does it relate to our definition of forensic psychology? - Answer
Forensic psychologists rarely/don't participate in criminal profiling.
According to the survey presented in class, what percentage of forensic psychologists /psychiatrists had
generated a criminal profile? - Answer 11%
Whose job is it to find and apprehend criminals? - Answer Law enforcement officers and NOT forensic
psychologist.
Forensis is Latin for "of the Forum"
What is the role of forensic psychologists? - Answer The role of a forensic psychologist is to assist the
legal system through the use of psychology.
What is our definition of forensic psychology? - Answer The assessment and treatment of individuals
within a legal context.
What were the three issues we discussed regarding Dr. Samuels' testimony in the Jodi Arias case? -
Answer 1.) Dr. Samuels had scored/diagnosed Jodi Arias with PTSD in a unprofessional manner. 2.) Dr.
Samuels provided a self-help book as a gift to Jodi Arias.
3.) Dr. Samuels would often forget what he said/forget to bring certain materials.
What special knowledge and skills are forensic psychologists able to offer the courts? - Answer In class
answers: pleading insanity, measuring risk, assessing and diagnosing disorders, detecting deception,
examining behaviors at time of crime, fitness for duty eval.
What are the primary differences between a forensic psychologist and a forensic psychiatrist? - Answer
A forensic psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) that focuses on psychotropic medication
management, has less training in psychology, and minimal training in psychological testing.
A forensic psychologist is someone with a Ph.D or Psy.D that has more training in psychology along with
psychological assessment and more research training.
, What are the major areas of forensic psychology as it relates to Criminal Law? - Answer These
individuals focus on Violence Risk Assessment, Insanity and Criminal Responsibility, Competency to
Stand Trial, Treatment of Sexual Offenders, and Juvenile Transfer to Adult Court.
What are the major areas of forensic psychology as it relates to Civil Law? - Answer These individuals
focus on Child Custody, Civil Commitment, Personal Jury, Worker's Compensation, and Competency to
Make Medical Decision.
Who can provide court-mandated therapy? - Answer Any licensed therapist (not a forensic
psychologist).
What is therapeutic jurisprudence? - Answer "the use of social science to study the extent to which a
legal rule or practice promotes the psychological well-being of the people it effects" (Slobogin, 1996,
p.767).
How is the legal system an adversarial process? - Answer The legal system has two sides opposing one
another with their own objectives in mind. Throughout the process they are trying to come up with an
outcome that is beneficial for all parties. (although this is not done often at all)
How is the legal system prescriptive? - Answer While psychology is descriptive in that it states how
individuals tend to behave, the law is prescriptive in that it determines how people are allowed to
behave.
What is the primary difference between nomothetic and idiographic? - Answer This is brought up in "The
Conflict Between Law and Psychology." Psychology tends to be nomothetic (focus on the bigger picture
and broader trends), whereas, the law tends to be idiographic (focuses on the situation at hand and not
outside trends).
How is psychology probabilistic, and how is the law certain? - Answer Psychology is probabilistic in that
it looks at things dimensionally or more so on a spectrum. The law is certain in that it's very "yes or no"
with no in between.
