PSY 285 - Forensic and Legal Psychology

The connection between the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes (psychology) and criminality has become increasingly apparent. This course occurs at the intersection of psychology and the criminal justice system and examines human behavior related to the legal process, including eyewitness memory, testimony, jury decision making, the insanity defense, and lie detection. Incidences of psychological involvement, ranging from the determination of competence (forensic psychology) and the profiling of various perpetrators is included. Legal cases pertaining to psychology will be discussed.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 180
4 credits = 4 lecture