PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology Course Syllabus. Course Description. Course Textbook. Course Learning Outcomes. Credits.

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1 PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology Course Syllabus Course Description Introduces criminal behavior from a psychological perspective. Students explore the role of the forensic psychologist, review various psychological theories of criminal behavior, analyze different crimes from a psychological perspective, and examine current research in the field. Students also learn about how psychologists intersect with law enforcement and the U.S. criminal justice system as well as how psychological treatment efforts can aid in the rehabilitation of the offender. Course Textbook Kitaeff, J. (2011). Forensic psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Define the characteristics of forensic psychology. 2. Analyze the different psychological approaches to understanding both violent and nonviolent crimes. 3. Identify different types of offenders, including their developmental, biological, and personality risk factors. 4. Identify how forensic psychologists work with the criminal justice system. 5. Examine different psychological treatment approaches aimed at rehabilitating offenders. 6. Critique research in forensic psychology. 7. Apply forensic psychology concepts and theories to real-world cases and scenarios. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Study Guide: Each unit contains a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources. 2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 3. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed in the Unit I and III-VII study guides. Students are encouraged to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings. 6. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): These non-graded Learning Activities are provided In Units II and IV to aid students in their course of study. 7. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are part of all CSU term courses. More information and specifications can be found in the Student Resources link listed in the Course Menu bar. 8. Unit Assessments: This course contains two Unit Assessments, one to be completed at the end of Units VII and VIII. Assessments are composed of multiple-choice questions and written-response questions. 9. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VI. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 1

2 10. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 11. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. CSU Online Library The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the mycsu Student Portal, and click on CSU Online Library. You can also access the CSU Online Library from the My Library button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard. The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. and telephone ( ) assistance is available Monday Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page. Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services. Unit Assignments Unit I Scholarly Activity You have received your first assignment as a new journalist for a large newspaper. You have been instructed to write a series of articles on selected career fields that may be unknown to most of the readers. Your first career article assignment is forensic psychology. Your article should cover the following characteristics of forensic psychology: a brief history of forensic psychology, issues in forensic psychology, education/credentials of forensic psychologists, and roles and responsibilities of forensic psychologists. Your newspaper article should be two pages in length. All sources used must be cited and referenced using APA style. See the grading rubric for additional guidelines. It is recommended that you use the rubric as a checklist as you draft the newspaper article. Unit II PowerPoint Presentation You have been selected to present at a national conference for forensic psychologists and law enforcement. Your presentation will cover key psychological approaches to understanding violent and nonviolent crimes. Create a 10- to 12- slide PowerPoint presentation. Be sure to cover the following areas: Analyze different psychological approaches to understanding both violent and nonviolent crimes. Identify characteristics of a violent offender to include his or her developmental, biological, and personality risk factors. Identify characteristics of a nonviolent offender to include his or her developmental, biological, and personality risk factors. Use at least two peer-reviewed journal articles to support your presentation, and discuss what the research findings indicate about violent and nonviolent crimes. You can use the information in your textbook as well as information from other reliable sources. Note: Unmonitored websites such as Wikipedia are not acceptable. You may use the slide-notes function to explain slide contents as necessary. Be sure to cite your sources in a reference slide, using proper APA style. The title and reference slides are not included in the slide count. PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 2

3 These CSU Success Center videos are available to view should you need additional assistance in the development of your PowerPoint presentation: PowerPoint: From Zero to Hero: This webinar will demonstrate how to make a basic PowerPoint presentation as well as how to incorporate backgrounds, text, pictures, screen shots, and other elements that will be useful for making a basic PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint Presentations: This webinar will cover guidelines and tips for making a PowerPoint presentation for the academic setting. While there will be some information about how to use PowerPoint, this webinar will mostly focus on the accepted norms for creating a professional presentation. This webinar will also go over how to make a PowerPoint presentation APA compatible. Unit III PowerPoint Presentation Create a 10- to 12-slide PowerPoint presentation on three different types of killers. Select one real-world individual for each of the following areas: mass murderer, spree killer, and serial killer. Create a presentation, and be sure to cover the following items for each of the three individuals: Identify the type of offender, including his or her developmental, biological, and personality risk factors. Create a profile for each individual by applying at least one forensic psychology concept or theory from your assigned reading. You can use the information in your textbook as well as information from other reliable sources. Note: Unmonitored websites such as Wikipedia are not acceptable. You may use the slide-notes function to explain slide contents as necessary. Be sure to cite your sources in a reference slide, using proper APA style. The title and reference slides are not included in the slide count. Unit IV Case Study Choose an example of a domestic AND foreign terrorist group or individual. Some examples include Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Ted Kaczynski also known as the Unabomber. Use the CSU Online Library and the Internet to search for information. Provide an analysis by completing the following tasks: 1. Identify the type of terrorist and characteristics associated. 2. Provide a psychological explanation for this terrorist s activities. 3. Discuss any possible developmental, biological, and personality risk factors. 4. Discuss the stressors that police investigating terrorism can experience and the effects they can have. 5. Identify how psychologists can contribute to the daily efforts of law enforcement as well as how they can help police officers cope with the stressors associated with investigating and fighting crimes committed by terrorists. Your case study response must be a minimum of three pages and at minimum must use the textbook and one additional scholarly source from the CSU Online Library as support. All sources must be cited and referenced in APA style. Unit V Case Study One of the most well-known murderers in history is Jack the Ripper, and this assignment provides you with an opportunity to analyze the case by applying the concepts in this unit. First, browse the Internet for information regarding the case involving Jack the Ripper. You may also use the following document from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website: Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Jack the Ripper. Retrieved from PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 3

4 Address the following points in your case study: 1. Describe the techniques you would use in the investigation of the crime to identify a suspect. 2. Once the suspect has been identified; what interviewing techniques would you use, and why? Identify both strengths and limitations for each technique you would use. 3. Explain how both the unscientific and scientific models of profiling could be used to help law enforcement identify a suspect for the crime. Your case study response must be a minimum of three pages and at minimum must use the textbook and one additional scholarly source as support. All sources must be cited and referenced in APA style. Unit VI Article Critique This assignment provides you with an opportunity to critique the research that is available for the field of forensic psychology. First, use the CSU Online Library to locate a research article from a peer-reviewed journal about civil or criminal commitment. Although not required, consider using the Academic Search Complete database within the library to begin your search. Then, draft a paper by critiquing the article and including each of the following: 1. Summarize the main points of the article. 2. What do the findings of the research contribute to the understanding of civil or criminal commitment? 3. Include strengths and limitations of the research presented. 4. Discuss how commitment relates to competency, insanity, and criminal responsibility based on the findings of the research. 5. What are some ethical concerns related to civil or criminal commitment? 6. What is your opinion on the article and its stance? Your article critique should be a minimum of three pages. All sources must be cited and referenced. The assignment should be formatted in APA style, including both a title page and a references page. APA Guidelines The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center. Grading Rubrics This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities. Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments). The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I s Discussion Board submission instructions. The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment. PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 4

5 Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting Tools and then My Grades. Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or ed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Discussion Boards 2%) = 16% Unit Assessments 10%) = 20% PowerPoint Presentations 12%) = 24% Case Studies 10%) = 20% Unit I Scholarly Activity = 10% Unit VI Article Critique = 10% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 5

6 PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I Introduction to Forensic Psychology Unit Study Guide Chapter 1: History and Current Issues in Forensic Psychology Chapter 2: Roles and Responsibilities of Forensic Psychologists Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Scholarly Activity by Tuesday, Unit II Violent and Nonviolent Crimes Unit Study Guide Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide Chapter 3: Aggression and Violent Crime Chapter 4: Nonviolent Crimes Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, PowerPoint Presentation by Tuesday, Unit III The Many Types of Killers Unit Study Guide Chapter 5: Mass Murders and Serial Killers Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, PowerPoint Presentation by Tuesday, PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 6

7 PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology Course Schedule Unit IV Police Psychology and a Look at Terrorism, Cults, and Extremism Unit Study Guide Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide Chapter 6: The Psychology of Terrorism, Cults, and Extremism Chapter 7: Law Enforcement and Police Psychology Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Case Study by Tuesday, Unit V Investigations and Eyewitness Testimony Unit Study Guide Chapter 8: Investigations Chapter 9: Eyewitness Testimony and Accuracy Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Case Study by Tuesday, Unit VI False Confessions and Offender Capacity/Incapacity Unit Study Guide Chapter 10: Psychology of False Confessions Chapter 11: Capacity and Incapacity Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Article Critique by Tuesday, PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 7

8 PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology Course Schedule Unit VII Treatment and Rehabilitation of the Offender Unit Study Guide Chapter 12: Juries and the Courtroom Chapter 13: Repressed Memories and Novel Syndromes Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Assessment by Tuesday, Unit VIII Juries and the Introduction of Memories in the Courtroom Unit Study Guide Chapter 16: Treatment and Rehabilitation in Forensic Psychology Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Assessment by Tuesday, PSY 3307, Forensic Psychology 8

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