Psychology and Justice System

Code:

P723

Acronym:

PSJ

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2020/2021 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIPSI	39	Official Curricular Structure	4	-	6	54	162
MTP	3	Official Curricular Structure	1	-	6	54	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

- Acquire in-depth knowledge within the areas of Forensic Psychology, Psychology of Justice, Witness Psychology, among others.

- Acquire in-depth knowledge about the relationship between psychology and the justice system.

- Develop knowledge about the Portuguese Justice System and compare it with other justice and penal systems.

- Acquire in-depth knowledge about forensic psychological assessment/expertises.

-To understand the role of the psychologist within the Justice System and to develop skills in the domain of psychological intervention within the various sub-systems of the justice system (e.g., forensic psychological assessment, intervention in courts, prisons, reeducation facilities, rehabilitation, combating social exclusion, child welfare system).

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the semester students should: 

- Acquire the most important theoretical and practical knowledges necessary to understand de origin, development and actual practices of the psychologist in the justice system.

- Have the necessary knowledges and skills to do psychological forensic expertises in different domains.

- Understand the role of the psychologist within the Justice System and to develop basic skills in the domain of psychological intervention within the various sub-systems of the justice system (e.g., forensic psychological assessment, intervention in courts, prisons, reeducation facilities, rehabilitation, combating social exclusion, child welfare system).

Working method

Presencial

Program

- Contributions of Psychology to the Justice System.

- Psychology of Justice, Forensic Psychology, Criminal Psychology, Witness Psychology and Criminal Investigation.

- The role of the psychologist in the Justice System.

- The Portuguese legal and penal system.

- The specific role of the psychologist in the Courts, Police and Investigative Psychology/Contributions of Psychology to Criminal Investigation.

- The contact with the justice system and the secondary victimization processes. - Judicial decision making and the contributions of the Forensic Psychology. Extralegal variables that influence judicial decision.

- Emotions, memory and testimony, emotions and judgment.

- The specific role of the psychologist in Courts, Police and Criminal Investigation, including Forensic Psychological Assessment, Intervention with Perpetrators and Psychological Support to victims in contact with the judicial system, both children and adults.

Current challenges to the Psychology of Justice or Forensic Psychology, such as the forensic assessment of people with disabilities, people from other cultures or religions, the over-judicialization of spheres of private life, the parental alienation syndrome and its influence in the assessment of custody cases, especially when there are suspections of sexual abuse, the use of psychology knowledge in the interrogation and torture of prisoners, among others.

Mandatory literature

Crighton, D. & Towl, G. (Eds.) ; Forensic Psychology. , Chichester: John Wiley & Sons (second edition)., 2015
Fradella, H. & Sumner, J. (Eds.) ; Sex, Sexuality, Law and (In)Justice. , London: Routledge., 2016
Matos, M., Gonçalves, R. & Machado, C. (Eds., 2011). ; Manual de Psicologia Forense., Braga: Ed. Psiquilibrios., 2011
Jackson, R. & Roesch, R. (Eds.) ; Learning Forensic Assessment. , London: Routledge (second edition)., 2016
Machado. C. & Gonçalves, R.A. (Coord., 2005).; Psicologia Forense., Coimbra: Quarteto Editora., 2005
Goldstein, A. M. (2007).; Forensic psychology: Emerging topics and expanding roles., New York: Wiley , 2007
Fonseca António Castro 070; Psicologia forense. ISBN: 972-40-2853-4
Manita, C. & Machado, C. (2012). ; A psicologia forense em Portugal: novos rumos na consolidação da relação com o sistema de justiça. , Análise Psicológica, 30, 1/2, 15-32., 2012

Complementary Bibliography

Bartol Curt R.; Criminal behavior. ISBN: 0-13-192766-3
Ceci, S. & Hembrooke, H. (Eds, 2001).; Expert Witness in Child Abuse Cases. What Can and Should be Said in Court., Washington: American Psychological Association., 2001
Poole, D. & Lamb, M. (1998); Investigative Interviews of Children. A guide for helping professionals., Washington: American Psychological Association., 1998
Debuyst Christian 300; Dangerosité et justice pénale. ISBN: 2-88049-005-7
Shapiro David L.; Criminal responsibility evaluations. ISBN: 1-56887-046-9
Polizzi, D. & Draper, M. ; Forensic Psychology Reconsidered. A Critique of Mental Illness and the Courts. , London: Routledge., 2016
Hess Allen K. 340; The^handbook of forensic psychology. ISBN: 0-471-17771-7
Walker, L.E. & Shapiro, D.L. (2003).; Introduction to Forensic Psychology. Clinical and Social Perspectives, New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Press., 2003
Foucault Michel; Surveiller et punir. ISBN: 2-07-072968-0
Eisen, M.L.; Quas, J.A. & Goodman, G.S. (Eds., 2002).; Memory and Suggestibility in the Forensic Interview., New Jersey: Laurence Erlbaum., 2002
Shapiro David L.; Forensic psychological assessment. ISBN: 0-205-12521-2
Brewer, N. & Williams, K. D. (2005, Eds.); Psychology and law. An empirical perspective., New York: The Guilford Press., 2005

Teaching methods and learning activities

- Theoretical classes.

- Theoretical-practical classes with active participation of students, individually and in groups.

- Some classes with invited lecturers - professionals within the fields of Law, Police and Criminal Investigation, Forensic Psychology, Social Security, etc. – in order to enrich students’ understanding of their professional activity.

- Theoretical-practical work on the different areas of intervention of the psychologist in the judicial system, carried out in small groups, by the students, with tutorial support from the teacher, which will be presented during classes, like if it was a conference / symposium, followed by an extended debate in the class.

- Independent study, including research and literature search, in order to facilitate the assimilation of contents of the Psychology-Justice relationship and the Psychologist’s role in the judicial system.

- Tutorial supervision of theoretical and practical assignments carried out by students, as well as providing the necessary conditions to develop independent study/work.

keywords

Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology
Social sciences > Criminology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho de campo	20,00
Trabalho escrito	10,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	60,00
Participação presencial	10,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	40,00
Frequência das aulas	50,00
Trabalho de campo	50,00
Trabalho escrito	10,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	12,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

- Students’ class attendance will be based on the control of the presence in classes. Students must attend 2/3 of the total number of classes taught. 
In exceptional cases, legally foreseen, the traditional class attendance may be replaced by the submission of an assignment. This assignment must be defined with the responsible professor at the beginning of the semester.

- In accordance with the regulation of evaluation, students must have a minimum grade of 10 points (none of the assessment components can sum less than 8 points). The failure to achieve the minimum score of 10 points implies non approval in the discipline and the obligation to repeat the evaluation.

- In the case of non-submission of the practical work by the deadline established, students cannot obtain final approval in the discipline.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final grade on a 0-20 scale:

1. 90% of the final grade results from a theoretical-practical work on one of the themes / topics of the UC, developed in small groups, integrating theoretical content (which will require a bibliographic review / analysis) and application of this content to specific areas of the psychology- justice system relationship / psychologist's intervention in the justice system. This application involves a search for practical materials, multimedia, etc., on the topic and a critical reflection, integration, and application of theoretical and practical knowledge. This component of the work corresponds to the evaluation component of “Fieldwork” (20%).

Instead of being presented in a traditional way (as a paper), this work will be presented in a dynamic / interactive format, simulating a conference / symposium (as if it was part of an International Congress on Psychology and Justice). This component of the assignment corresponds to the evaluation component of “Presentation / discussion of a scientific work” (60%).

As would happen in any congress, each group will send the teacher a summary of their presentation, with the definition of the theme and a synthesis of the contents to be addressed, so that the adequacy and feasibility of the theme can be assessed. This part of the work corresponds to the evaluation components of “Written work” (10%).

 The subject of each work can be chosen from the list of themes proposed by the teacher or be a self-proposed theme, subject to prior evaluation of its adequacy and feasibility by the teacher.

2. 10% of the final grade results from attendance / participation in classes.

Examinations or Special Assignments

In the legally foreseen situations, in which students cannot participate in classes or carry out the theoretical-practical group work, they should do a written assignment, equivalent to the works presented by the other students. This alternative must be arranged with the teacher at the beginning of the semester.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

In exceptional cases, foreseen in the regulations or in cases duly justified and accepted as valid by the School competent committees, students may be evaluated outside the usual context and regular calendar, through the completion of a written assignment with a content similar to what other students have done.

In these cases, the student should contact the teacher responsible for the discipline at the beginning of the semester to define the rules and methodologies of the alternative evaluation.

Classification improvement

For grade improvement, there is the possibility of carrying out an individual assignment, deepening the theme of the group work, filling any gaps of the previous presentation. There is no place for repetition of the group work.

Observations

Due to the constraints resulting from the covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent declaration of the state of emergency, the following changes to the assessment regime in this UC were defined:

 - Elimination of the final written exam.

 - Given the impossibility of going to a courtroom, the evaluation of the theoretical and theoretical-practical components will now be carried out through an assignment, carried out in a small group, about one of the themes of the UC, and its dynamic presentation, during the semester. They will be presented like a Symposium in a Congress (simulating an International Congress of Psychology of Justice). The development of this work implies bibliographic review and analysis, application of theoretical knowledge to the practice and reflection on the conditions for exercising this practice, audio-visual materials, interviews with professionals, practical situations, etc.