PSYC 395 Athabasca Forensic Psychology questions with
verified answers
* Briefly describe the stepwise interview and narrative elaboration
approaches. Outline their respective processes for interviewing
children. Ans✓✓✓ An alternative procedure for interviewing children
that aims to keep false claims at a minimum is the step-wise
interview.This interview protocol consists of a series of "steps"
designed to start the interview with the least leading and directive type
of questioning, and then proceed to more specific forms of questioning
as necessary.
starts with rapport building: neutral conversation- try to make child
comfortable.
the recall of two non-abuse events: Birthday parties, going to movies
etc.
explanation of truth: Explain truth in general terms and receive verbal
confirmation that the child will tell the truth.
introduction of critical topic: Start with OE questions, proceed to more
specific questions if disclosure doesn't occur.
free narrative: ASk child to describe what happened.
general questions: Ask for clarification on what the child has said, using
child-appropriate language.
specific questions: Follow up and clarify inconsistencies. If needed
interview aids such as drawing or dolls.
Conclude: thanking the child and explaiing the next steps
,* Describe the relevance of defendant and victim characteristics as they
relate to jury discussions. Include historical references. Ans✓✓✓ There
has been a great deal of research conducted on the characteristics of
jurors to see if verdicts can be netter predicted based on these
characteristics. The two main characteristics studied are defendant and
victim characteristics.
Defendant characteristics have been shown to have influence on
verdicts. If jurors are made aware of a defendants prior criminal
involvement, they are more likely to find that person guilty than if they
didn't know the person's history. The perceived attractiveness of the
defendant has also been shown to influence verdict. In the 70's,
researchers showed participants a pic of either attractive or
unattractive defendant and found the verdict was more lenient for
attractive defendant. The sex of a person also has influence. Males are
seen as less accurate, truthful or believable than females.
Victim characteristics are relevant to jurors. Women's sexual history
was allowed to be used in court until the 80's. Her sex history wold be
used to establish her credibility. in 1992, it was ruled that a woman's
sex history could be used at the judges' discretion if he deemed it
relevant. We know that people are influenced by info they hear. A
study in 2002 revealed that compared to participants who head nothing
of a woman's sex history, those who did were more likely to find the
woman at fault, or believe she consented to intercourse.
,*Briefly describe the theories that attempt to explain intimate partner
violence and its wide extent. Ans✓✓✓ 356
Social learning explains IPV noting that in order for someone to acquire
a behaviour it has to serve a function for them; that behaviours that are
rewarded are more likely to occur again while behaviours that are
punished are less likely to occur again.
Some researchers believe that a patriarchal society contributes to the
domestic assault of women by men.
Social learning theory was developed by Bandura (1973) to explain
aggression and has been applied by Dutton (1995) to explain spousal
assault. There are three main components to social learning theory:
origins of aggression, instigators of aggression, and regulators of
aggression. One way people acquire new behaviours is via
observational learning. Bandura (1973) described three major sources
for observational learning: the family of origin, the subculture the
person lives in, and televised violence. Studies of the family background
of male batterers have found they are much more likely to have
witnessed parental violence than are nonviolent men.
Nested ecological model (Sutton 1995) 357
*Define and describe the three noted principles of effective
correctional treatment intervention. Outline their relationship to
recidivism. Ans✓✓✓ Some people believe once a person offends,
, there is no hope for rehabilitation. Research demonstrates this is not
the case. There are several principles that aid in effective interventions.
-Need principle: Effective interventions focus on factors that are known
to have an effect on re offending. Some of these include antisocial
attitudes and characteristics such as impulsivity, as well as keeping
social ties with peers who are antisocial or engaged in criminal activity
and substance abuse.
-Risk Principle: Interventions should be specifically tailored to those at
high risk of offending. Studies show low risk offenders who were
unlikely to re offend, are more likely once exposed to an intervention.
Spending more time around those with antisocial attitudes.
Responsivity Principle: Interventions should be tailored to the individual
offender and include specific factors such as the offenders gender,
abilities, learning style and ethnicity. This principle supports the use of
structured cognitive behavioural interventions.
In terms of recidivism, research looks at treatment intervention and re-
offending. Research shows that of those who receive appropriate
intervention, show lower rates of recidivism.
*Define psychopathy. What five potential etiological sources are
related to the development of a psychopath? Briefly describe two
familial influences. Ans✓✓✓ Psychopathy is a personality disorder. The
verified answers
* Briefly describe the stepwise interview and narrative elaboration
approaches. Outline their respective processes for interviewing
children. Ans✓✓✓ An alternative procedure for interviewing children
that aims to keep false claims at a minimum is the step-wise
interview.This interview protocol consists of a series of "steps"
designed to start the interview with the least leading and directive type
of questioning, and then proceed to more specific forms of questioning
as necessary.
starts with rapport building: neutral conversation- try to make child
comfortable.
the recall of two non-abuse events: Birthday parties, going to movies
etc.
explanation of truth: Explain truth in general terms and receive verbal
confirmation that the child will tell the truth.
introduction of critical topic: Start with OE questions, proceed to more
specific questions if disclosure doesn't occur.
free narrative: ASk child to describe what happened.
general questions: Ask for clarification on what the child has said, using
child-appropriate language.
specific questions: Follow up and clarify inconsistencies. If needed
interview aids such as drawing or dolls.
Conclude: thanking the child and explaiing the next steps
,* Describe the relevance of defendant and victim characteristics as they
relate to jury discussions. Include historical references. Ans✓✓✓ There
has been a great deal of research conducted on the characteristics of
jurors to see if verdicts can be netter predicted based on these
characteristics. The two main characteristics studied are defendant and
victim characteristics.
Defendant characteristics have been shown to have influence on
verdicts. If jurors are made aware of a defendants prior criminal
involvement, they are more likely to find that person guilty than if they
didn't know the person's history. The perceived attractiveness of the
defendant has also been shown to influence verdict. In the 70's,
researchers showed participants a pic of either attractive or
unattractive defendant and found the verdict was more lenient for
attractive defendant. The sex of a person also has influence. Males are
seen as less accurate, truthful or believable than females.
Victim characteristics are relevant to jurors. Women's sexual history
was allowed to be used in court until the 80's. Her sex history wold be
used to establish her credibility. in 1992, it was ruled that a woman's
sex history could be used at the judges' discretion if he deemed it
relevant. We know that people are influenced by info they hear. A
study in 2002 revealed that compared to participants who head nothing
of a woman's sex history, those who did were more likely to find the
woman at fault, or believe she consented to intercourse.
,*Briefly describe the theories that attempt to explain intimate partner
violence and its wide extent. Ans✓✓✓ 356
Social learning explains IPV noting that in order for someone to acquire
a behaviour it has to serve a function for them; that behaviours that are
rewarded are more likely to occur again while behaviours that are
punished are less likely to occur again.
Some researchers believe that a patriarchal society contributes to the
domestic assault of women by men.
Social learning theory was developed by Bandura (1973) to explain
aggression and has been applied by Dutton (1995) to explain spousal
assault. There are three main components to social learning theory:
origins of aggression, instigators of aggression, and regulators of
aggression. One way people acquire new behaviours is via
observational learning. Bandura (1973) described three major sources
for observational learning: the family of origin, the subculture the
person lives in, and televised violence. Studies of the family background
of male batterers have found they are much more likely to have
witnessed parental violence than are nonviolent men.
Nested ecological model (Sutton 1995) 357
*Define and describe the three noted principles of effective
correctional treatment intervention. Outline their relationship to
recidivism. Ans✓✓✓ Some people believe once a person offends,
, there is no hope for rehabilitation. Research demonstrates this is not
the case. There are several principles that aid in effective interventions.
-Need principle: Effective interventions focus on factors that are known
to have an effect on re offending. Some of these include antisocial
attitudes and characteristics such as impulsivity, as well as keeping
social ties with peers who are antisocial or engaged in criminal activity
and substance abuse.
-Risk Principle: Interventions should be specifically tailored to those at
high risk of offending. Studies show low risk offenders who were
unlikely to re offend, are more likely once exposed to an intervention.
Spending more time around those with antisocial attitudes.
Responsivity Principle: Interventions should be tailored to the individual
offender and include specific factors such as the offenders gender,
abilities, learning style and ethnicity. This principle supports the use of
structured cognitive behavioural interventions.
In terms of recidivism, research looks at treatment intervention and re-
offending. Research shows that of those who receive appropriate
intervention, show lower rates of recidivism.
*Define psychopathy. What five potential etiological sources are
related to the development of a psychopath? Briefly describe two
familial influences. Ans✓✓✓ Psychopathy is a personality disorder. The
