The Career
What type of psychologist applies psychological knowledge to legal and criminal justice matters?
what is a forensic psychologist
What degree is usually required to become a licensed psychologist
What is a doctoral degree
What does psychology study that is especially relevant to forensic psychologists
What is human behavior and mental processes?
What is an expert witness?
What is a qualified person who provides specialized knowledge to help a court understand evidence
The word "forensic" is related to what?
What is the law or legal system?
Name one place where a forensic psychologist might work.
What is a court, prison, police department, or mental health facility
What are the two common types of doctoral degrees in psychology
What are a PhD and PsyD
What is one factor that can influence criminal behavior
What is environment, life experiences, mental health, substance use, or social factors
What might a forensic psychologist do when serving as an expert witness
What is explain psychological findings and opinions based on their evaluation and expertise?
True or False: Forensic psychology is exactly the same thing as criminal profiling.
False. Criminal profiling is only one activity associated with the broader field of forensic psychology
Forensic psychologists may evaluate whether a defendant understands the legal proceedings against them. What is this called?
What is competency to stand trial?
After earning a doctoral degree, what must psychologists generally complete before becoming independently licensed
What is supervised training/clinical experience and required licensing exams
What is a psychological assessment?
What is a structured way of gathering information about a person's psychological functioning?
What does confidentiality mean
What is keeping a person's private information protected, subject to important legal and professional limits
What is one important skill for a forensic psychologist
What is critical thinking, communication, interviewing, research, or psychological assessment
A forensic psychologist might evaluate a person's likelihood of committing another offense. What is this generally called?
What is a risk assessment
Why is knowledge of psychology important to a forensic psychologist
What is understanding human behavior, mental health, and psychological assessment
True or False: Forensic psychologists can diagnose every criminal they evaluate.
False. Their role depends on the specific case, evaluation, qualifications, and applicable laws.
Why must forensic psychologists remain objective during evaluations
What is because their professional role is to provide an impartial psychological assessment rather than advocate for one side
What is a forensic interview
What is an interview conducted for a legal or investigative purpose
Besides criminal cases, forensic psychologists can also work on what types of legal cases?
What are civil cases, family cases, or child custody cases
Why does a forensic psychologist also need knowledge of the legal system
What is because their work applies psychological information within legal proceedings and standards
Why shouldn't forensic psychologists automatically assume that someone who committed a crime has a mental disorder?
Because criminal behavior and mental illness are not the same thing.
A lawyer asks a forensic psychologist to determine whether a defendant is legally guilty. What should the psychologist do
The psychologist should not make the legal decision of guilt; that is determined by the legal system.
Why is accurate documentation important in forensic psychology
Because forensic work may be reviewed by attorneys, courts, and other professionals, so records need to be clear, accurate, and well supported.