The first fully randomized field experiment of police interrogations, investigates the impact of video recording
Informing suspects that interrogations are being recorded does not inhibit suspects or alter case dispositions. This is the bottom line of a recently published article in Law and Human Behavior. Below is a summary of the research and findings as well as a translation of this research into practice. Featured Article | Law and Human […]
A Case of Misdiagnosis? Gang Members’ Mental and Emotional Health Needs
A meta-analysis of available literature on gang members’ mental health and emotions reveals that gang members may be at increased risk of suffering from mental illnesses and negative emotions. However, there remains a limited understanding of how gang members’ self-conscious emotions may relate to persistent offending and violence. Gang members may benefit from more clinically […]
Words of Caution: Recommendations to Consider when Interviewing Patients with a History of Aggression or Violence
This article discusses some of the issues that arise when interviewing individuals who utilize mental health services in forensic settings, given that many patients in this population have significant histories of aggression and/or violence. We identify important considerations for interviewers related to characteristics of the client, interviewer, and setting of the interview. Lastly, some recommendations […]
Challenging longstanding assumptions about evaluator empathy in forensic evaluations
Evaluators who purposefully use expressive empathy during a psychopathy assessment interview rate evaluees more favorably than evaluators who purposefully avoid expressive empathy. This is the bottom line of a recently published article in Law and Human Behavior. Below is a summary of the research and findings as well as a translation of this research into […]
It’s all relative: Effect of contrast cases on jury members’ decision making
Prosecutors, individuals involved in criminal justice, and general public serving as jury members should be aware of the contrast effects when making judgements in a legal context. This is the bottom line of a recently published article in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Below is a summary of the research and findings as well as […]
“That Was a Challenging Interview!” A Guide for Interviewing Individuals Given a Diagnosis of a Personality Disorder in Forensic Settings
Histories of complex trauma and insecure attachment are widespread among individuals given a diagnosis of personality disorder in forensic settings and are likely to be underlying factors that contribute to their offending behavior. It is important to bear this in mind when working with this population in order to formulate accurate profiles and engage in […]
A Cautionary Tale: Issues to Consider when Interviewing Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Forensic Contexts
Many features associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), such as emotional regulation issues or difficulties with social communication, may raise significant issues during formal interviews with individuals with an ASD. This is particularly true in forensic contexts, when individuals with an ASD may be interviewed as a witness, victim or perpetrator of an offense. Using […]
Letting them speak: Analysis of victim impact statements in capital sentencing proceedings
Victim impact statements are much less instigative than commonly thought, with prosecutors having a great influence over the witness statements. This is the bottom line of a recently published article in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Below is a summary of the research and findings as well as a translation of this research into practice. […]
It’s difficult, but you are doing a great job: The effect of interviewer’s support on child abuse victim’s reluctance in interviews
Interviewer’s support can mitigate child abuse victim’s reluctance, thus increasing the informativeness of the interview. This is the bottom line of a recently published article in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Below is a summary of the research and findings as well as a translation of this research into practice. Featured Article | Psychology, Public […]
Current Treatment Modalities May Not Fully Address the Heterogeneity of Psychopathology in Dual Diagnosis Forensic Inpatient Populations
This study sought to clarify the psychiatric and criminological characteristics among Belgian French-speaker forensic inpatients with low IQ and mental health illnesses (MHI). To this end, we compared a low IQ group with MHI, low IQ group, and control group. Compared to the control group, proportionally more patients in the low IQ and MHI group […]
APLS 2019 Presidential Address by Dr. Kevin Douglas
