Psychological Science in the Courtroom Consensus and Controversy

by Skeem, Jennifer L.; Douglas, Kevin S.; Lilienfeld, Scott O.

• ISBN13: 9781606232514
• ISBN10: 1606232517
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-05-08
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

This rigorous yet reader-friendly book reviews the state of the science on a broad range of psychological issues commonly encountered in the forensic context. The goal is to help professionals and students differentiate between supported and unsupported psychological techniques--and steer clear of those that may be misleading or legally inadmissible. Leading contributors focus on controversial issues surrounding recovered memories, projective techniques, lie detection, child witnesses, offender rehabilitation, psychopathy, violence risk assessment, and more. With a focus on real-world legal situations, the book offers guidelines for presenting scientific evidence accurately and effectively in courtroom testimony and written reports.

Author Biography

Jennifer L. Skeem, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California, Irvine, where she is also a member of the MacArthur Research Network on Mandated Community Treatment, the Center for Psychology and Law, and the Center for Evidence-Based Corrections. Dr. Skeem conducts research on such topics as psychopathic personality disorder, violence risks, and psychiatric treatment outcomes of offenders. She is a recipient of the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Excellence in Psychology and Law, awarded jointly by the American Psychology-Law Society (Division 41 of the American Psychological Association) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology.

 

Kevin S. Douglas, LLB, PhD, is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Law and Forensic Psychology Program in the Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Canada. He conducts research on forensic assessment and violence, with a specific focus on violence risk assessment. Dr. Douglas is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Career Scholar and a recipient of the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Excellence in Psychology and Law.

 

Scott O. Lilienfeld, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Emory University. His research focuses on the causes of personality disorders, particularly psychopathic personality; psychiatric classification and diagnosis; and evidence-based practice in clinical psychology. Dr. Lilienfeld is a fellow of the American Psychological Society and a recipient of the David Shakow Early Career Award from Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. He is editor of the Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice.

Table of Contents

Psychological Science and its Application in Courts of Law
Standards of Legal Admissibility and Their Implications for Psychological Science	p. 3
Daubert and Psychological Science in Court: Judging Validity from the Bench, Bar, and Jury Box	p. 26
Memory and Suggestibility
The Scientific Status of "Repressed" and "Recovered" Memories of Sexual Abuse	p. 55
Forensic Hypnosis: The State of the Science	p. 80
Expert Testimony Regarding Eyewitness Identification	p. 100
Techniques and Controversies in the Interrogation of Suspects: The Artful Practice versus the Scientific Study	p. 124
Reliability of Child Witnesses' Reports	p. 149
Specific Tests and Techniques
The Psychopathy Checklist in the Courtroom: Consensus and Controversies	p. 175
Projective Techniques in the Courtroom	p. 202
Psychophysiological Detection of Deception and Guilty Knowledge	p. 224
Forensic Evaluation of Psycholegal Issues
Criminal Profiling: Facts, Fictions, and Courtroom Admissibility	p. 245
The Science and Pseudoscience of Assessing Psychological Injuries	p. 263
Controversies in Child Custody Evaluations	p. 284
Controversies in Evaluating Competence to Stand Trial	p. 309
Courtroom Sentencing: Risk and Rehabilitation
Violence Risk Assessment: Core Controversies	p. 333
Appropriate Treatment Works, but How?: Rehabilitating General, Psychopathic, and High-Risk Offenders	p. 358
Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions
Finding Common Ground between Scientific Psychology and the Law	p. 387
Index	p. 408
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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