Psychology 2032B 650 FW24

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.

 

Western University

London                   Canada

 

Department of Psychology

Winter 2025

 

Psychology 2032B    Section 650

 

Psychology of Crime & Corrections

 

 

1     Calendar Description

 

This course introduces students to a broad range of issues in 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. https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/academics/timetables.html

 

Antirequisites: Psychology 2031A/B, Psychology 3313A/B

Prerequisites: n/a

 

3 lecture hours;

Course Weight: 0.5

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites 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     Course Information

 

Instructor:                      Dr. John Campbell

Office & Phone:            see Brightspace for office location

Office Hours:                 TBD; By appointment

Email:                               jcampb7@uwo.ca

 

Teaching Assistant:   TBA

Office:                               TBA

Office Hours:                 TBA

Email:                               TBA

 

Time and Location of Classes: Asynchronous online lectures posted weekly

 

For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.

 

3     Course Materials

 

Pozzulo, Bennell & Forth (2018). Forensic Psychology, Sixth Edition. Nelson: Pearson

 

4     Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

This course introduces students to a broad range of issues in the area of forensic psychology. The objective of the course is to guide students in becoming better consumers of information about crime, trials, punishment versus rehabilitation, incarceration, etc. A particular focus of this course will be on the discrepancy between common lay-person beliefs about crime and what is supported in empirical literature. Given this, a particular emphasis will be placed on critical thinking, scepticism, argument, and confronting assumptions. Topics include detecting deception, eyewitness testimony, investigative interviewing, role and responsibilities, offender profiling, correctional psychology, risk assessment, victims of crime, not criminally responsible and fitness to stand trial.

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.

Identify and recognize recent psychological findings related to a greater understanding the behaviours of yourself and individuals around you.

Lectures, Ted talks and other videos, online demonstrations

Midterm exams and final exams

Knowledge of Methodologies.

Understanding the methods used to achieve the results that are related to our greater knowledge of why we and others behave as we do.

Lectures, Ted talks and other videos, online demonstrations and activities

Midterm exams and final exams

Application of Knowledge.

Identifying how this knowledge can be utilized to change our behaviours and how we interact with others.

Online demonstrations and activities

Midterm exams and final exams

Communication Skills.

Increasing our ability to communicate with others by having a great knowledge of topics such as interpersonal communications.

Lectures, videos, activities

Midterm exams and final exams

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge.

Recognizing the limitations of research in the field of Psychology over the years and questions that remain on the topics covered.

Lectures, videos, activities

Midterm exams and final exams

Autonomy and Professional Capacity.

Developing a greater self-awareness and using that to relate more closely and clearly with others in society and in their personal lives.

Lectures, videos, activities

Midterm exams and final exams

 

 

5     Evaluation

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.

 

Grades in this course will be based on three online exams. The exams will consist of a combination of multiple-choice and fill in the blank questions. Students are responsible for material assigned in the textbook, as well as material covered in lectures. The First Exam (Feb 3), worth 30% of the final grade, will cover material from Jan 6 through Jan 27.  The Second Exam (Mar 10), worth 30% of the final grade, will cover material from Feb 10 through Mar 3.  The Final Exam (April Exam Schedule), worth 40% of the final grade.

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives

 

Policy on Missing Coursework

 

If you miss an exam and have an excuse documented and approved by the academic counselling office in your home faculty, you will be offered a make-up exam time. Please note that make-up exams may consist, in part or exclusively, of essay, short-answer, fill-in-the-blank, and/or multiple-choice items.  

 

Grades will be posted to the course web site as soon as possible after each exam.

 

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines:  https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%     1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%     2100-2999-level courses

75%     3000-level courses

80%     4000-level courses

 

In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding

 

Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.

 

6     Assessment/Evaluation Schedule

 

Date                    % of final grade           Material covered

Exam 1              Feb 3                  30%                                   Jan 6 through Jan 27

Exam 2              Mar 10               30%                                   Feb 10 through Mar 03

Exam 3              Apr Exams       40%                                   Mar 10 through Mar 31

 

7     Class Schedule

 

Date

Lecture

Topic

Reading

Jan 6

1

Introduction – Welcome to Psychology of Crime & Corrections

An Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Course syllabus; Chapter 1

Jan 13

2

Criminal Profiling

Chapter 3

Jan 20

3

Interrogations

Chapter  3 & 4

Jan 27

4

Deception Detection

Chapter  3 & 4

Feb 3

5

Midterm Exam #1

Chapters 1,3,4

Feb 10

6

Eyewitness Testimony

Chapter 5

Feb 17

7

Reading Week

No lecture

Feb 24

 8

Criminal Responsibility

Ch 8

Mar 03

9

Sentencing and Parole

Ch 9

Mar 10

10

Midterm Exam #2

Chapter 5, 8, 9

Mar 17

11

Psychopathy & Psychopathic Offenders

Ch 11

Mar 24

12

Sex Offenders

Ch 14

Mar 31

13

Homicidal Offenders

Ch 15

 

 

8     Academic Integrity

 

Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

 

Students are required to silence and put phones away during all in class lectures.

All electronic devices, including phones and laptops, will need to be put away during midterms and final exams.

 

Plagiarism Detection Software

 

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  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.

 

Use of AI

 

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.

 

Multiple Choice Exams

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

9     Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education

 

View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.

 

Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.

If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information.  Email: aew@uwo.ca  Phone: 519 661-2147

 

10  Absence & Academic Consideration

 

View Western’s policy on academic consideration for medical illnesses this link

 

Find your academic counsellor here: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain academic considerations. Students must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.

 

Medical Absences

 

Submit a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for Academic Consideration.

 

Nonmedical Absences

 

Submit appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Religious Consideration

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

11  Other Information

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

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.

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement

 

Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

12  Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.