Raina Lamade, PhD

Introduction to psychology and the law covering the professional practice of forensic psychology; case law and legal standards; research, and case examples. Topics include ethics, criminal and civil competencies, the insanity defense, risk assessment, involuntary commitment, expert and eyewitness testimony, jury selection, child custody, juvenile justice, problem solving courts, treatment of offenders, restorative justice, and police psychology.

Integrates research design, data analysis, data interpretation, and APA format report writing across the two dominant paradigms in contemporary psychology. The course includes the use of the SPSS statistical software for univariate parametric and some non-parametric models. The course contains a strong experiential component to prepare students for thesis writing.

Traditional components of psychological testing, including test construction, test development, test administration and test interpretation, and specific training in frequently administered clinical tests (e.g., MMPI, WAIS and WISC). Beyond traditional test theory, students will be exposed to contemporary evaluation devices including behavioral assessment, interview data, and naturalistic observation.

Theoretical and functional considerations for the design and implementation of effective behavior programming. Through readings and analysis of case studies, students gain familiarity with the theoretical and applied principles of behavior modification and therapy.

Independent pursuit of an individual research project under the supervision of a faculty sponsor.