ABPP Forensic Psychology flashcards
ABPP Forensic Psychology · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Dusky standard
- Legal standard for competence to stand trial: defendant must have sufficient present ability to consult with counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and a rational and factual understanding of proceedings.
- MacCAT-CA
- Structured interview assessing competence-related abilities: understanding, appreciation, and reasoning. It is not a malingering test and yields three subscale scores.
- Malingering
- Intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms, motivated by external incentives such as avoiding criminal responsibility or obtaining compensation.
- TOMM
- Test of Memory Malingering; forced-choice recognition test with two learning trials and a retention trial; scores below 45/50 suggest invalid performance.
- M'Naghten rule
- Insanity defense standard: at the time of the act, the defendant had a mental disease or defect causing inability to know the nature and quality of the act or that it was wrong.
- PCL-R
- Psychopathy Checklist-Revised; 20-item clinician-rated instrument with two factors (interpersonal/affective and social deviance) and total scores ranging from 0 to 40.
- HCR-20
- Structured professional judgment risk assessment tool for violence; includes historical, clinical, and risk management factors; final risk judgments are low, moderate, or high.
- Static-99R
- Actuarial risk assessment instrument for sexual offense recidivism; uses static factors such as age, prior offenses, and victim characteristics to estimate risk.
- Miranda waiver
- Valid waiver of rights must be knowing, intelligent, and voluntary; courts consider totality of circumstances including age, education, and intelligence.
- Sell v. United States
- Supreme Court case allowing involuntary medication to restore competence only if treatment is medically appropriate, unlikely to have side effects undermining fairness, and necessary for important governmental interests.
- Risk-need-responsivity
- Offender rehabilitation model: match treatment intensity to risk level, target criminogenic needs, and use responsive methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy.
- Good Lives Model
- Strengths-based rehabilitation approach for offenders that focuses on achieving primary human goods and reducing risk by building capabilities and prosocial goals.
- Therapeutic jurisprudence
- Framework examining how legal rules, procedures, and roles affect psychological well-being; used to design justice systems that promote rehabilitation and mental health.
- DBT for forensic populations
- Dialectical behavior therapy adapted for justice-involved individuals with emotion dysregulation and borderline traits; targets self-harm, impulsivity, and interpersonal skills.
- Competence restoration
- Treatment and education to help incompetent defendants attain competence to stand trial; typically includes psychoeducation about legal process and courtroom procedures.
- Duty to protect
- Tarasoff-based obligation: when a client poses serious danger to an identifiable victim, the clinician must take reasonable steps such as warning the victim or notifying police.
- Informed consent in forensic evaluation
- Disclosure of purpose, procedures, limits of confidentiality, and who will receive the report; the evaluee is notified that the evaluation is not for treatment.
- Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology
- APA (2013) guidelines emphasizing impartiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining objectivity, and clarifying roles in forensic practice.
- HIPAA and judicial proceedings
- Protected health information may be disclosed for judicial proceedings only with a court order or patient authorization, unless otherwise permitted by law.
- Insanity defense burden
- The party with the burden of proving insanity varies by jurisdiction; in federal courts, the defendant must prove insanity by clear and convincing evidence.
- Fifth Amendment privilege
- Protects against compelled testimonial self-incrimination; in forensic evaluations, defendants may assert the privilege, but adverse inferences may follow in some contexts.
- AAPL Ethics Guidelines
- American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law guidelines requiring honesty, avoiding conflicts of interest, and respecting confidentiality within legal limits.
- Frye standard
- Legal test for admissibility of expert testimony: the scientific technique must be generally accepted in the relevant field.
- Daubert standard
- Legal test for expert testimony: requires reliability and relevance, considering testability, error rate, peer review, and general acceptance.
- Ultimate issue rule
- Legal rule that experts may testify about ultimate issues in some jurisdictions but may not state legal conclusions in others.
- Dual role prohibition
- Forensic experts should avoid serving as both therapist and evaluator because conflicting obligations compromise objectivity and informed consent.
- Contingent fees
- Payment for forensic services that depends on the outcome of the case; prohibited because they create bias and threaten objectivity.
- Base rate
- The prevalence of a condition in a population; important in forensic assessment for interpreting test results and avoiding overconfidence in predictions.
- Error rate
- The frequency of incorrect classifications by a test; a Daubert factor for assessing reliability of expert testimony.
- Peer review
- Evaluation of professional work by colleagues; a Daubert factor and a quality assurance method in forensic practice.
- Consultation to courts
- Providing expert advice to judges or attorneys on psychological issues; consultant should clarify referral question and maintain role boundaries.
- Testimony preparation
- Reviewing case materials, anticipating cross-examination on test selection and interpretation, and distinguishing clinical versus forensic roles.