Criminology & Emergency Response Management CERM: Forensic Psychology

Beyond Common Sense addresses the many important and controversial issues that arise from the use of psychological and social science in the courtroom. Each chapter identifies areas of scientific agreement and disagreement, and discusses how psychological science advances our understanding of human behavior beyond common sense. Features original chapters written by some of the leading experts in the field of psychology and law including Elizabeth Loftus, Saul Kassin, Faye Crosby, Alice Eagly, Gary Wells, Louise Fitzgerald, Craig Anderson, and Phoebe Ellsworth The 14 issues addressed include eyewitness identification, gender stereotypes, repressed memories, Affirmative Action and the death penalty Commentaries written by leading social science and law scholars discuss key legal and scientific themes that emerge from the science chapters and illustrate how psychological science is or can be used in the courts

The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Psychology, Fourth Edition provides an easy-to-understand look at both this history and modern practice of psychology. Interest in psychology extends well beyond the walls of academia. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and William James are just a few examples of the many people in psychology whose works remain popular sellers, demonstrating an ongoing popular interest in this field. In the Fourth Edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide®to Psychology, readers will find- What treatment works best for what problem. How to use positive psychology to make one's life even better (one doesn't have to have a problem to use psychology). Alternative mental health treatments (for example, some parts of meditation can improve one's self-esteem and ward off depression). How the mind and the body work with each other-and how one can improve their communication.

To help writers create more credible and convincing criminal characters, this guide examines the basics of psychology and law, theories of criminality, and various disorders that can lead to criminal behaviour. It also explores the legal process, forensics, and treatment of offenders and victims.

What does a criminal reveal about himself by the way he commits a crime? A criminal may divulge what shoes he wore from his footprints. His blood type can be determined by any body fluids left at the scene. But he leaves more at the crime scene than these material traces. He also leaves psychological traces, telltale patterns of behavior that indicated the sort of person he is. These traces are more ambiguous and subtle than those examined by the biologist or physicist... They are more like shadows... Yet if they can be interpreted, criminals' shadows can indicate where investigators should look and what sort of a person they should look for.

Why do individuals exposed to the same environment turn out so differently, with some engaging in crime and others abiding by societal rules and norms? Why are males involved in violent crime more often than females? And why do the precursors of serious pathological behaviour typically emerge in childhood? This fascinating text addresses key questions surrounding criminal propensity by discussing studies of the life-course perspective--criminological research that links biological factors associated with criminality with the social and environmental agents thought to cause, facilitate, or otherwise influence a tendency towards criminal activity. The book provides comprehensive, interdisciplinary coverage of the current thinking in the field about criminal behaviour over the course of a lifetime. Additionally, it highlights interventions proven effective and illustrates how the life-course perspective has contributed to a greater understanding of the causes of crime.

The polygraph, often portrayed as a magic mind-reading machine, is still controversial among experts, who continue heated debates about its validity as a lie-detecting device. As the nation takes a fresh look at ways to enhance its security, can the polygraph be considered a useful tool? The Polygraph and Lie Detection puts the polygraph itself to the test, reviewing and analyzing data about its use in criminal investigation, employment screening, and counter-intelligence. The book looks at: The theory of how the polygraph works and evidence about how deceptiveness "and other psychological conditions "affect the physiological responses that the polygraph measures. Empirical evidence on the performance of the polygraph and the success of subjects (TM) countermeasures. The actual use of the polygraph in the arena of national security, including its role in deterring threats to security. The book addresses the difficulties of measuring polygraph accuracy, the usefulness of the technique for aiding interrogation and for deterrence, and includes potential alternatives "such as voice-stress analysis and brain measurement techniques.