Deck 1: Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Question 1

Kate is a second-year college student who is interested in becoming a police psychologist. If you were Kate's parents, which career path would you suggest to her?

A) Encourage her to transfer to a university accredited in police psychology
B) Encourage her to earn her undergraduate degree and then join the police academy
C) Encourage her to transfer to an undergraduate school with joint-degree training
D) Encourage her to earn a doctorate in psychology and gain ample exposure to police culture

Answer 1

Encourage her to earn a doctorate in psychology and gain ample exposure to police culture

Question 2

What is the common link between the broad and narrow definitions of forensic psychology?

A) The inclusion of clinicians
B) The legal system
C) Violent crime analysis
D) Empirical assessment practices

Answer 2

The legal system

Question 3

Fitness for duty evaluations are to __________ psychology as child custody evaluations are to __________ psychology.

A) clinical; school
B) social; criminal
C) organizational; victim
D) police; legal

Answer 3

police; legal

Question 4

Which of the following statements about prescription privileges for psychologists is correct?

A) Recent surveys indicate that almost all psychologists are in favor of prescription privileges.
B) A small minority of states give psychologists prescription privileges.
C) No state allows psychologists to prescribe medication.
D) Military psychologists are the only psychologists who have prescription privileges.

Question 5

What do forensic psychology, forensic linguistics, and forensic archaeology all have in common?

A) They are based on scientific principles
B) They involve the study of human pathology
C) They are based on an unknown, deceased subject
D) They involve the study of crime

Question 6

A forensic psychologist who has earned a doctorate and is licensed, certified and accepted by peers as being at the highest level of excellence has likely obtained __________ certification.

A) MPH
B) LPA
C) diplomate
D) joint-degree

Question 7

The text adopts a __________definition of forensic psychology.

A) broad
B) practical
C) clinical
D) academic

Question 8

Mark Smith is a PhD who studies the feeding patterns of insects. His findings are often used to determine cause of death in murder investigations. Dr. Smith would be considered a(n)

A) forensic psychologist.
B) forensic entomologist.
C) insect analyst.
D) cephalic pathologist.

Question 9

Which statement supports the idea that courts often learn toward a medical model approach to mental disorder?

A) Many judges prefer the involvement of psychiatrists for insanity determinations
B) Many attorneys prefer psychologists for child custody evaluations.
C) Many judges advocate for psychologists to have prescription privileges.
D) Many attorneys advocate for psychiatrists in correctional facilities.

Question 10

Which of the following specialties is one of the five major areas in forensic psychology?

A) Positive psychology
B) Social psychology
C) Legal psychology
D) Pathological psychology

Question 11

There has been a global increase in forensic psychology graduate programs within the past few years. What conclusion can you make about the field of forensic psychology from this statement?

A) Crime is on the rise
B) There is a need for trained mental health counselors in corrections
C) The field has been overly glamorized in the media
D) The field is growing

Question 12

Where would a forensic psychologist find the principles and standards for ethical practices?

A) The APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
B) Black's Law Dictionary
C) The Journal of Forensic Psychology
D) Clinician's Handbook of Psychological Behavior

Question 13

According to Heilbrun and Brooks (2010), which certifying body of board certification is the most rigorous?

A) American Board of Forensic Psychology
B) American Board of Professional Psychology
C) International Association of Correctional Psychologists
D) International Society of Forensic Psychologists

Question 14

Dr. Roy is a forensic psychologist who is conducting a child custody evaluation in a divorce case. Dr. Roy is practicing the forensic psychology subspecialty of

A) legal psychology.
B) correctional psychology.
C) victimology.
D) linguistics.

Question 15

The majority of new psychology doctorates are employed in __________ settings.

A) government
B) business
C) private practice
D) human service

Question 16

Which statement most accurately summarizes a difference between forensic psychologists and forensic psychiatrists?

A) Psychologists can legally prescribe medication in all fifty states, whereas psychiatrists can only prescribe medication in the military.
B) Psychologists focus on research, whereas psychiatrists focus on application.
C) Psychiatrists hold a medical degree, whereas most psychologists do not.
D) Psychologists work primarily in institutional settings, whereas psychiatrists do not.

Question 17

Which term is synonymous with forensic data recovery?

A) Computer evidence recovery
B) Ink data discovery
C) Forensic document questioning
D) Handwriting analysis

Question 18

Although juvenile crime as a whole has gone down in recent years, incidents of __________have increased.

A) adult violent crime
B) school shootings
C) violent bullying
D) youth homicides

Question 19

A forensic psychologist who specializes in victimology would most likely perform which of the following tasks?

A) Train police officers on how to deal with mentally ill citizens
B) Testify at a trial in which the defendant has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity
C) Conduct research on the development of psychopathy
D) Assess, support, and counsel those who provide death notification services

Question 20

The largest worldwide association of psychologists is the

A) American Psychological Association.
B) International Association of Forensic Psychologists.
C) International Society of Clinical Psychologists.
D) American Board of Professional Psychologists.

Question 21

Assessing the mental needs of incoming prison inmates is a task performed by a __________ psychologist.

A) police
B) delinquent
C) criminal
D) correctional

Question 22

The history of forensic psychology can be traced back to late 19^th century experiments involving which topic?

A) Serial murders
B) Prison violence
C) Child development
D) Eyewitness identification

Question 23

The American Psychological Association accepted forensic psychology as a specialization in the year

A) 1991.
B) 1995.
C) 2001.
D) 2005.

Question 24

Which two adjectives most accurately describe the effects of criminal victimization on adults?

A) Temporary and varied
B) Pervasive and persistent
C) Intense and short-lived
D) Recognizable and untreatable

Question 25

The study of persons who have experienced actual or threatened physical, psychological, social and/or financial harm as the result of the actual or attempted commission of crime against them is called

A) victimology.
B) rehabilitation psychology.
C) heuristics.
D) correctional psychology.

Question 26

In their study of APA-accredited doctoral programs, Magaletta et al. (2013) found that graduate schools failed to adequately prepare students for which forensic psychology subspecialty?

A) Legal
B) Family
C) Correctional
D) Juvenile

Question 27

Which statement concerning youth violence is most accurate?

A) Despite media attention, juvenile violent crime continues to decrease nationwide.
B) The steady increase in juvenile crime indicates Americans' apathy toward the educational needs of children and teenagers.
C) One's risk of being injured in school is significantly higher than one's risk of being injured in the community at large.
D) The juvenile murder rate has been increasing at a rapid rate since 1990.

Question 28

What is the difference between standards and guidelines?

A) Psychologists are expected to adhere to guidelines; standards are aspirational
B) Psychologists are expected to adhere to standards; guidelines are aspirational
C) Guidelines are legal; standards are psychological
D) Standards are psychological; guidelines are legal

Question 29

Which ethical issue would a psychologist be least likely to address?

A) Answering the ultimate issue in a child custody evaluation
B) Determining the correct medication dosage for a psychotic prisoner
C) Conducting a risk assessment for a death penalty case
D) Participating in a military interrogation

Question 30

Which of the following is the most recently recognized applied branch of psychology?

A) Clinical
B) Counseling
C) Industrial/organizational
D) Police and public safety

Question 31

The Food and Drug Administration's forensic lab was instrumental in investigating the 1982 product tampering case involving

A) the Unabomber.
B) cyanide laced Tylenol capsules.
C) the Hillside Strangler.
D) a security breech at Target stores.

Question 32

A psychologist who consults with school staff in order to identify potentially troubled and dangerous youth is likely practicing the forensic psychology subspecialty of __________ psychology.

A) legal.
B) forensic school
C) victim's witness
D) correctional

Question 33

Which forensic psychology subspecialty would be concerned with visitation rights for a same-sex couple who were not legally married?

A) Correctional
B) Family forensic
C) Police and public safety
D) Forensic school

Question 34

Psychological services to _________ have received little attention until recent years.

A) prisoners
B) persons with mental disorders
C) juveniles
D) victims of crime

Question 35

Which type of training can be offered at either the undergraduate and graduate level and provides students real-world exposure to the field?

A) Diplomate
B) Dissertation
C) Licensure
D) Internship

Question 36

The term LPA refers to

A) persons with master's degrees in psychology who are licensed.
B) psychologists with PhDs who have gained wide recognition in the field.
C) social workers who are licensed in forensic psychology.
D) undergraduate students who are psychiatry assistants.

Question 37

Psychologists who use valid and reliable methods are engaging in

A) evidence-based practice.
B) questioned document analysis.
C) risk assessment.
D) professional accountability.

Question 38

Which of the following statements is correct about forensic psychology?

A) There is no consensus about how it should be defined.
B) It is a clinical specialization in psychology.
C) It is a research specialization in psychology.
D) There are no guidelines for the profession.

Question 39

What is the fastest growing branch of forensic psychology?

A) Legal
B) Family
C) Correctional
D) Juvenile

Question 40

Research on crime and delinquency suggests that which factor leads to serious violent offending?

A) Authoritative teaching
B) Rejection by peers
C) Excessive television viewing
D) Poor academic performance

Question 41

In 2009, psychologists were granted permission to prescribe medication in all states.

Question 42

Forensic psychiatry, forensic nursing, and forensic pathology are examples of forensic sciences.

Question 43

Compared with the PhD, the PsyD degree is

A) less research oriented.
B) declining in popularity among graduate students.
C) not offered by any major university.
D) popular in Canada and the United Kingdom, but not in the U.S.

Question 44

This text focuses on the various fields of forensic science.

Question 45

Compare and contrast the PsyD and PhD degree.

Question 46

Forensic psychology was first recognized as a specialty in 2008.

Question 47

Differentiate between the broad and narrow definitions of forensic psychology. Why is it important to distinguish between these two definitions?

Question 48

McKain's research on LPAs indicated that

A) their career opportunities were limited.
B) employees preferred licensed social workers to LPAs.
C) most felt pressure to earn their PhDs.
D) they are a marketable group.

Question 49

Forensic psychology and forensic psychiatry are becoming increasingly distinct professions.

Question 50

The five subspecialties of forensic psychology are mutually exclusive.

Question 51

Compare and contrast forensic psychology and forensic psychiatry.

Question 52

Forensic psychology is recognized by the American Psychological Association as an applied specialty.

Question 53

Police psychology is synonymous with correctional psychology.

Question 54

Graduates with master's degrees in psychology, and without a doctoral degree

A) cannot legally practice psychology.
B) cannot call themselves psychologists in most states.
C) are not allowed to work in prison settings.
D) are not allowed to testify in federal courts.

Question 55

The term forensic refers to anything pertaining or potentially pertaining to law, both civil and criminal.

Question 56

According to the text, one must obtain a forensic psychology degree in order to be a competent forensic psychologist.

Question 57

Psychologists began to testify in courts in increasing numbers during the 1940s and 1950s.

Question 58

In order to be considered a psychologist, the authors encourage one to obtain a doctorate degree.

Question 59

Choose one of the forensic sciences (other than psychology) discussed in the chapter. Provide a detailed description of the field, including why this profession is considered "forensic."

Question 60

The five subspecialties of forensic psychology that are illustrated in the text are research focused.

Question 61

Discuss how the terms police psychology and forensic psychology may overlap.

Question 62

Choose two of the forensic psychology subspecialties and discuss their similarities and differences. Include at least two tasks performed by each specialty.

Question 63

Choose one of the ethical issues facing forensic psychologists. Discuss both sides of the issue. What is your position on this issue?

Question 64

Describe the process of computer evidence recovery. Why are law enforcement personnel discouraged from opening seized computer files?

Question 65

Discuss how the American Psychological Association responded to the need to provide services to a diverse client population.

Question 66

Imagine your career goal is to become a police psychologist. Describe one path you would take to reach this goal.