Assignment:
Introduction To Forensic Psychology:
Introduction:
Sixteen-year-old Matthew is on trial for shooting seven students, one fatally, at a local high school. "Mattie," as he is called by family and friends, claims he heard voices telling him to kill his classmates.
What role might a forensic psychologist play in the trial of Matthew? As a consultant or hired expert, a forensic psychologist might answer questions such as: Is Matthew competent to stand trial? Should "Mattie" be sent to a juvenile or an adult correctional facility, or is a psychiatric hospital more appropriate? If imprisoned, what type of treatment should he receive? These questions can be answered by experts in the field of forensic psychology-the application of psychological principles and theories to practices, processes, and procedures in the legal system. Need Assignment Help?
In Week 1, you explore major controversies related to the role of forensic psychologists. You also examine forensic psychology occupations of interest to you. Finally, you identify and apply concepts to check your understanding of material presented in this week's readings.
Students will:
- Evaluate major controversies related to the role of forensic psychologists (D)
- Analyze occupations of personal interest in forensic psychology (A)
Personal Motivations and Career
Goals
Salisbury (2012) attributes the recent growing interest in forensic psychology to the popularity of investigative crime television series, as cited in Bartol and Bartol (2012b, p. 18). Many of these shows focus on solving crimes with the help of a forensic psychologist. Your first exposure to the term forensic psychology may have been through these television programs.
When your undergraduate program of study ends, you may want to pursue a number of professional and educational opportunities in the field of forensic psychology. From trial consultants assisting in jury selection to expert witnesses testifying on a defendant's mental competence, forensic psychologists are involved in many aspects of the legal process. As you explore your options in the field of forensic psychology, you must be aware of the educational requirements for forensic psychology occupations. Many occupations in forensic psychology require an advanced degree.
In this week's Assignment, you identify professional areas of interest to you and explain which career paths in forensic psychology you may choose to follow.
To prepare for this Assignment: Focus on occupations in forensic psychology.
Review this week's Learning Resources, including the Bartol and Bartol (2012b) book excerpt and Chapter 1 of your Costanzo and Krauss (2021) course text.
Note:
Resources:
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Think about why you are interested in forensic psychology.
Begin exploring forensic psychology careers using the Career Areas in Psychology section of the
Psychology Career Exploration Toolkit found in this Week's Learning Resources.
Continue exploring forensic psychology careers by searching the Internet for occupations in forensic psychology.
Identify three specific career paths in forensic psychology of greatest interest to you.
The Assignment (2-3 pages):
Explain academic, professional, or personal reasons for selecting forensic psychology as your program of study or discuss why you chose to take this class.
Describe three specific occupations in the field of forensic psychology that interest you and explain why.
For each occupation:
- Describe possible settings in which you might work.
- Explain the type of work you might perform.
- Describe types of populations with which you might work.
- Explain educational requirements.
- Explain any challenges you might encounter when working in this role
Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.