Psychology 2032A-001
Psychology of Crime & Corrections
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to a broad range of issues in the area of forensic psychology. Topics include detecting deception, eyewitness testimony, investigative interviewing, roles and responsibilities, offender profiling, correctional psychology, risk assessment, victims of crime, and fitness to stand trial. A focus will be on critical thinking, skepticism, argument, and confronting assumptions.Prerequisite:
Antirequisites: 3390G if taken in 2008, 2011 and 2012, 468G if taken in 2006. Brescia College
Psychology 3313A; King’s College Psychology 3313A
3 seminar hours, 0.5 course
Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Peter HoakenOffice and Phone Number: WH320 519-661-2111 x 813321
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 2-4pm
E-mail: phoaken@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Lectures: Monday 2:30pm – 5:30pm, HSB - 40
T.A. Caitlin Spencer
T.A. Office Hours: Tuesdays (1:00-3:00) and Thursdays (10:00-12:00) SSC 7306
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Pozzulo, Bennell, & Forth (2014). Forensic Psychology (4th Ed.) Pearson/Prentice-Hall, Toronto.4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The purposes of Psychology 2032A are:1. To challenge student’s pre-conceived notions about the role of psychology within the criminal justice system;
2. To provide students with knowledge of the basic vocabulary, research findings, and generally accepted concepts in the field of psychology and law;
3. To heighten students’ awareness of the problems and advances in the study of issues in psychological research in legal contexts;
4. To introduce students to the applications of psychological research in shaping public policy.
5.0 EVALUATION
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
Evaluation is based on two (2) exams. The midterm exam covers the first half of the course, and is worth 50% of the final grade. It will consist of 75 multiple choice questions selected from lecture, readings, and text material. The final exam will cover lecture material, textbook readings and assigned readings since November 9th, is worth 50% of the final grade, and will consist of 75 multiple choice questions.
Midterm Examination (50%) Final Examination (50%)
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Readings from September 4th to October 16th, inclusive (i.e., the first seven classes).
The Final Exam will be during the final exam period, TBA, December 2015 and will cover course material from November 9th to the end of the semester.
MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS: Please see section 8.0 for policy regarding make-up examinations.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Lecture |
Topic |
Reading |
|
Sept 14 |
1 |
Welcome to Psychology of Crime & Corrections |
|
|
Sept 21 |
2 |
Harder Than it Looks on TV: History & Challenges of Forensic Psychology |
Chapter 1 |
|
Sept 28 |
3 |
Know when to hold ‘em & know when to fold ‘em: Interrogations, Confessions & Deception Detection |
Chapter 3, Chapter 4 |
|
Oct 5 |
4 |
Criminal Minds is Criminally Stupid: Evaluation of Criminal Profiling |
Chapter 3, Chapter 4
Reading: The Criminal Profiling Illusion: What’s Behind the Smoke and Mirrors? |
|
Oct 12 |
|
Thanksgiving |
|
|
Oct 19 |
5 |
The Usual Suspects: Eyewitness Accuracy & Testimony |
Chapter 5 |
|
Oct 26 |
6 |
Not ‘the Better Angels of our Nature’: Homicide, Sexual Assault & the Psychology of Criminal Behaviour |
Chapter 11, Chapter 14
Reading: Violent Video Games and the Supreme Court |
|
Nov 2 |
|
MIDTERM EXAM |
|
|
Nov 9 |
7 |
Welcome to the Joint: Prisons & Sentencing |
Chapter 9 |
|
Nov 16 |
8 |
Evil or Ill? Assessing Fitness & the Not Criminally Responsible designation |
Chapter 8
Reading: The Effects of Prison Sentences on Recidivism |
|
Nov 23 |
9 |
Predators Amongst Us: Understanding & Assessing Psychopathy |
Chapter 11
Reading: Psychopathy as Clinical & Empirical Construct |
|
Nov 30 |
10 |
Balancing Right to Liberty vs. Public Safety: Intro to Risk Assessment |
Chapter 10 |
|
Dec 7 |
11 |
Drugs, Executions, Abortions & Rationality – They Don’t Always Go Together But Today They Do (A Farewell) |
Reading: TBA |
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
The University of Western Ontario’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2015/pg117.html
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2015 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
