Module manager: Dr Ed Sutherland
Email: e.j.sutherland@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
This module is approved as a discovery module
This module considers the contribution of psychology at all levels of the criminal justice system. We start by focusing upon the police investigation. We examine the nature of witness memory and the factors which influence the reliability and completeness of eyewitness testimony. We further examine how adults' and children's memories can be susceptible to distortion. The issues associated with eliciting information from both willing and unwilling suspects are also discussed. Finally, we turn to the ways in which psychologists work with offenders in prison settings. Here we examine first some of the myths that surround types of offenders, and then explore how psychology can inform the assessment and treatment of offenders. We also consider here the efficacy of both the assessment and treatment of offenders. By the end of the module students should have obtained a clear overview of how psychology has been used, and can further be used, to inform practical problems arising in the criminal justice system.
This module aims to provide an overview of key concepts in 'Forensic Psychology'. Students will be introduced to a range of information within this discipline.
On completion of this module students are expected to be able to:
- describe the contribution of psychology at all levels of the criminal justice system (ie, from interviewing witnesses and suspects of crime, to jury decision making, to the incarceration and rehabilitation of offenders)
- demonstrate an awareness of basic theory, research findings and methods of investigation used in forensic psychology
- discuss the theories and key findings in the course, and their practical relevance to the criminal justice system.
- Students will be introduced to the application of theory and research to real world issues and practice.
- Problem-solving skills will be practised and assessed via the online learning exercise and the MCQ assessment.
- The online learning task will encourage students to use IT to support their learning.
This module aims to introduce students to the role of psychology throughout the criminal justice system.
Lecture List:
The psychology of investigation
1. Witness interviewing (ES)
Accessing and retrieving information from memory; police interview techniques: the Cognitive Interview
2. Memory and its distortions (CMM)
The Seven Sins of Memory: principle ways in which memory in normal adults is subject to distortion, and the extent to which this is adaptive
3. The suggestibility of children (SHJ)
The reliability and fallibility of children's reports of events; how they understand the purpose of questions and whether they are influenced by them
4. Witness identification (ES)
Factors influencing recognition of unfamiliar faces; accuracy of face recognition; reliability of identification from photographs and CCTV images
5. Questioning suspects (ES)
Suspect interview techniques, false confessions, detecting lies
Working with offenders
6. Forensic pathways (MW)
Crime, statistics and myths: measures of criminal activity, yypes of offences; statistics and impact, and myths and reality about offenders
7. Forensic populations (MW)
Types of offender; development of criminal behaviour, typologies, nature and nurture; violent and sexual offenders, drug offenders
8. Assessment of offenders (MW)
Traditional approaches to assessment; physiological and objective cognitive assessments
9. Treatment of offenders (MW)
Reducing recidivism; Group-based interventions; cognitive-behavioural therapy; anger management; ETS; sex offender treatment programmes
Forensic Psychology
10. Overview (ES/MW).
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Independent online learning hours | 1 | ||
| Private study hours | 88 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 11 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
- Independent online learning 1 hour: Internet based learning exercise - 2 sets of MCQ questions will be made available as part of progress monitoring and exam preparation
- 20 hours: Key reading for each lecture (10 x 2 hours)
- 39 hours: Independent reading
- 29 hours: Revision for MCQs and online learning exercise.
To monitor progress, in week 5, students will undertake an online learning exercise which reviews lecture-material covered in weeks 1-4.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| In-course MCQ | MCQ | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 0 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 1.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 4/29/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team