MA Psych Juris flashcards

35 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Daubert standard

Federal evidentiary rule from Daubert v. Merrell Dow (1993) requiring trial judges to assess expert testimony for reliability using factors such as testability, error rate, peer review, and general acceptance.

Frye general acceptance test

Pre-Daubert rule holding that scientific evidence is admissible only when the technique is generally accepted in its relevant field; still used in some state courts.

Therapeutic jurisprudence

Framework examining whether legal rules and procedures produce therapeutic or anti-therapeutic effects, treating law as a social force affecting psychological well-being.

Base rate and PPV

Positive predictive value equals true positives divided by all positives; it rises with prevalence, so low base rates produce many false positives even with accurate tests.

Likelihood ratio

Ratio of sensitivity to false-positive rate; it converts pretest odds to posttest odds through Bayes' theorem and is independent of base rate.

Cohen's d benchmarks

Standardized mean difference; 0.20 is small, 0.50 medium, and 0.80 large. Report it with confidence intervals to convey practical significance.

ROC area under curve

Plot of true-positive against false-positive rates; AUC of .50 is chance, 1.0 is perfect discrimination, and it summarizes overall test accuracy.

TOMM

Test of Memory Malingering; forced-choice visual recognition task with two learning trials and a retention trial. Scores below cutoff suggest invalid effort or feigned memory impairment.

SIRS-2

Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms, second edition; comprehensive feigning measure with multiple scales assessing improbable and amplified symptom reporting.

MacCAT-CA

MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication; structured interview measuring understanding, appreciation, and reasoning relevant to competency to stand trial.

PCL-R

Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised; 20-item clinician-rated measure of interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial traits. It is not a standalone risk instrument.

Dusky standard

Competency rule from Dusky v. United States (1960): sufficient present ability to consult with counsel with reasonable rational understanding and factual understanding of proceedings.

M'Naghten test

Insanity rule asking whether, at the time of the act, the defendant knew the nature and quality of the act or knew it was wrong.

Sell v. United States

2003 decision permitting involuntary antipsychotic medication to restore competency only when important government interests are at stake and treatment is medically appropriate and unlikely to have side effects undermining fairness.

Panetti standard

2007 rule requiring that a prisoner facing execution rationally understand the reason for execution, not merely know the fact of it.

PTSD diagnostic criteria

Requires exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence plus intrusion, avoidance, negative cognition/mood, and arousal symptoms lasting over one month.

But-for causation

Tort requirement that the injury would not have occurred absent the defendant's conduct; psychological injury claims must establish this link to recover damages.

Informed consent elements

Disclosure of material risks, benefits, alternatives, and the right to withdraw; requires capacity and voluntariness and applies in clinical and research contexts.

Best interests standard

Custody decision rule weighing stability, parental fitness, child needs, and caregiving history to determine the child's optimal welfare.

NICHD interview protocol

Structured forensic child interview using open-ended prompts, gradual transition to substantive questions, and avoidance of suggestive techniques to preserve accuracy.

Santosky v. Kramer

1982 decision requiring clear and convincing evidence of parental unfitness before terminating parental rights, reflecting the fundamental liberty interest in parenting.

Estimator variables

Eyewitness factors not controllable by police, including witness stress, weapon focus, cross-race effect, and retention interval, which affect identification accuracy.

System variables

Lineup and interrogation procedures controlled by police, such as double-blind administration, filler selection, and sequential versus simultaneous presentation.

Cognitive interview

Information-gathering technique using context reinstatement, report everything, reverse order, and changed perspective to increase accurate recall with modest error increases.

Compliant false confession

Confession made to escape interrogation or obtain a promised benefit, despite knowing innocence; risk factors include lengthy interrogation, minimization, and youth.

Risk-need-responsivity

Correctional model matching treatment intensity to risk, targeting criminogenic needs, and delivering services responsive to learning style and motivation.

Central eight needs

Criminogenic factors: criminal history, antisocial personality, antisocial cognition, antisocial associates, family/marital, school/work, leisure, and substance abuse.

Static-99R

Actuarial instrument estimating sexual recidivism risk using static historical factors; it does not measure treatment needs or dynamic change.

Roper v. Simmons

2005 decision holding the death penalty unconstitutional for offenders who were under 18 at the time of the crime.

Miller v. Alabama

2012 decision requiring individualized sentencing for juveniles facing life without parole; Montgomery (2016) made the rule retroactive.

Multiple relationships

APA Standard 3.05 prohibits relationships that could impair objectivity or exploit others; forensic and therapeutic roles should not be combined.

Test security

APA Standard 9.11 prohibits releasing test materials to unqualified persons; courts may order disclosure, so request protective orders.

Addington v. Texas

1979 decision requiring at least clear and convincing evidence for involuntary civil commitment, balancing individual liberty against state interests.

Tarasoff duty

1976 rule establishing a duty to protect identifiable third parties when a patient presents a serious threat of violence, typically through warning or protective action.

O'Connor v. Donaldson

1975 decision barring confinement of a nondangerous person capable of surviving safely in freedom solely because of mental illness.