Module PSYS3121: FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Department: PSYCHOLOGY (APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

PSYS3121: FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Prerequisites

• Modules to the value of 100 credits from Level 2 Applied Psychology (C810) OR Abnormal Psychology and Personality (PSYC2071) Or Social and Developmental Psychology (PSYC2021)

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To enable students to apply knowledge gained in levels 1 and 2 to the forensic context, especially to the issues surrounding children's involvement in the legal system.

Content

• Psychological Processes and Crime - Sociological and criminological theories of crime.
• Personality and crime.
• Neuropsychology and crime.
• Evolutionary psychology and crime.
• The process of offender profiling.
• Children in the Legal Context: The legal system.
• eyewitness suggestibility.
• interviewing and language in the legal context.
• juvenile delinquency.

Learning Outcomes

• At the end of this course it is expected that students will be able to: demonstrate detailed knowledge of some of the key areas of forensic psychology, especially those relevant to children in court.
• show understanding of how psychological theory and experimental research informs the issues raised in the forensic context.
• display an appreciation for the viewpoints of the different roles in the forensic context.

• Students passing this module should be able to:
• Locate, read and review critically a body of research evidence.
• Adopt and critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives and see the relationships between them.
• Interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work and understand how it can approriately guide forensic psychological practice.

• Students passing this module should be able to:
• Undertake critical evaluation of the quality of evidence and arguments.
• Communicate complex ideas effectively in their written work producing a clear, well-written essay.
• Demonstrate independent learning.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Knowledge and understanding is developed through the weekly 2 hour sessions involving variety of learning modes including lectures, student presentations, video-based material, and some small group work.
• This knowledge will be assessed in the written examination which is essay-based, providing students with the opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to appraise and apply empirical and theoretical in a critical manner.
• Preparations for presentations promote students??? abilities to locate, read and evaluate a body of evidence. These abilities are assessed in the written examination.
• All modes of teaching are designed to promote critical evaluation of evidence and arguments, to adopt different theoretical positions, and to interpret empirical work in terms of theory. Assessment of these abilities is based on the written examination.
• Written communication skills are developed through the preparation for the essay and examinations. Assessment of the skills is based on these formative assessments.
• Good IT skills are required for the preparation of the summative essays. Feedback is provided regarding the adequacy of these skills where necessary.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One written assignment.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University