Welcome to Psychology & Law!

By maclink on January 13, 2013 5:05 PM | 1 Comment

Familiarize yourself with the blog. You'll quickly notice that all of your assignments are listed here in chronological order. There are also many posts that go beyond these listed here for your assignments, and feel free to browse those using the links in the right side menu.

The course calendar (available as a link on the Course Resources tab--look near the top of your screen) is a really important document. It shows your assignments, due dates, and in-class meetings. You'll see that for Thursday you are to register for this website (so you can log in and comment to posts), and that you are to read the blog post Using Movies (right below this one).

The Course Resources tab has links to important information that you will likely need to access throughout the course. One such link is the How To Register link. You'll need to go there next, click the link, and read and follow the directions carefuly. Make sure you have scrolled all the way to the bottom of the document so you follow all the directions.

Using Movies

By maclink on January 13, 2013 5:04 PM | 0 Comments

In time for Thursday's, please read the following link: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/kim_maclin/2010/01/i-learned-it-at-the-movies.html 

as well as the 3 resource links at the bottom of that article.

Explore!

Using Podcasts

Book Selection

By maclink on January 13, 2013 5:00 PM | 1 Comment

There are several options for you to choose from to do your book report. They are: Lush Life, The Other Wes Moore, Picking Cotton, Orange is the New Black, Echo From Dealy Plaza, No Higher Calling-No Greater Responsibility.

You should choose a book that you are genuinely interested in, and consider this an opportunity to read something that you enjoy (even though it is also for a class). You can read reviews and summaries of these books at Amazon.

Each of these books are available at University Book and Supply next to the texts for this course. Many of these books are available at the UNI library and our local Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries. You may also purchase them at a local book seller like Barnes and Noble in Waterloo, or online at Amazon or other online merchants. Amazon also has digital options for your IPhone, Nook, or Kindle.

You should order/get your book THIS WEEK.

Guidelines for the book report are here: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/psylaw/2010/02/book-report-guidelines.html and also linked under the Course Resources tab of this website.

Review your calendar and be prepared to choose a Thursday due date sometime this semester. A sign up sheet for due dates will be passed around in class on Thursday.  

On your due date, you will turn a hardcopy in to me in class. Given that you are choosing your own deadline, no late papers are accepted. You may change your deadline throughout the semester as long as you provide 2 weeks notice. You must email your request to me, and if I approve it, include a copy of the email with your final report. You will also turn in a copy electronically to Turnitin.com (information about this is linked under the Course Resources tab.

Allow sufficient time to read your book and write your report.

Psychology in/and/of Law

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:53 PM | 40 Comments

Read Chapter 1 of your textbook.

Summarize the chapter. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? What do you know now that you did not know prior to reading this chapter? How could the words IN, AND, or OF change the meaning of the relationship between 'psychology' and 'law'.

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post

Jeffrey Dahmer

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:51 PM | 44 Comments

Read Chapter 12 in Minds on Trial.

Briefly summarize the chapter and your opinion of it. Then describe what aspects of psychology are relevant to this case. Finally, find three additional sources (links) on the internet that discuss some aspect of the Dahmer case, or a specific psychological issue relevant to the case. Discuss each of those links. Provide your links at the bottom of your comment.

What is Crime?

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:43 PM | 41 Comments

The Bureau of Justice Statistics collects and presents data on crime in the US.

Browse the site: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm

Review this page: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=3 (notice the types of crimes linked in the left side menu)

Browse this document for things that interest you: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cvus08.pdf

Summarize your experience with this website and your thoughts as a comment to this post.


Explore!

Kids see a hidden message 

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/03/the_day_i_left_my_son_in_the_car/

https://medium.com/culture-club/face-it-black-people-michael-brown-let-you-down-b3b4408cec82

White Privilege

Mental Health Cops

Racial Disparities in Arrests

mugshots

Deescalate Interactions

Search Warrants 

The Fear of Black Men

DOJ Ferguson Report

Background Checks

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:42 PM | 43 Comments

Crime isn't just something to read about in the papers, internet, or in a textbook. Crimes are real infractions against real laws. It's hard to find someone who has not broken some sort of law.

Go to Iowa Court Records OnLine http://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/DefaultFrame

click on 'start a case search here'

click on 'case search' under the trial court heading

in the first two boxes type in your last name and your first name. Search yourself. click on the blue case number link to see the file. At the top of the screen it takes you to, you can click on other options. If it is a criminal offense, you can click on criminal charges and disposition. If it is a civil matter you can click on filings. Some fields are not available to you for free (terms not in brackets). Feel free to browse around. Were you surprised by anything you found about yourself?

Feel free to search others you know :)

You can also check out the Iowa Sex Offender Registry http://www.iowasexoffender.com/

click on search, and then map search. type in your address, and click on getting mapped results.

Keep in mind that though this information is a matter of public record, you should still search (and use the information you find) responsibly.

Provide a summary of your reactions to this activity. What does what you found tell you about laws and law breakers?

Explore!

White Privilege

Forensic Science

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:35 PM | 42 Comments

Read the CSI Handbook. Available here: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/178280.pdf 

and Read Chapter 4 in your textbook.

Summarize these readings. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? What do you know now that you did not know prior to reading these? Do you think the procedures for collecting forensic evidence are reasonable? Difficult? Why do you think rules are in place for collection?

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post


Explore!

FBI Admits Flaws

Crime Scene

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:33 PM | 38 Comments

Go here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/164/crime-scene

Click on play to listen to the Crime Scene episode on This American Life (it is about an hour).

Summarize what you heard and learned. What was the most surprising thing to you? What aspects of psychology relate to any of the segments?

Eyewitness Memory

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:24 PM | 40 Comments

Read Chapter 7 of your textbook.

Summarize the chapter. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? What do you know now that you did not know prior to reading this chapter?

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post


Explore!

Eyewitness Testimony

Remembering a Crime you Didn't Commit

Courage Under Fire

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:21 PM | 39 Comments

This movie has concepts from several chapters throughout the book, and your other readings.

Next, write your comment. Primarily, your comment should focus on the elements of the movie that are focused on memory.  Your comment does not need to provide an overview of the movie (we have all seen it). Your comment should be an in-depth analysis of one or more principles from your text or other readings. You should use scenes and characters to provide examples of textbook concepts. Your comment should reflect that you are in a university level Psychology & Law course and clearly link elements from the movie to your readings.  This is a comprehensive assignment (linking course lectures, readings, and the movie) and you cannot do that in just a few short paragraphs.

BE SPECIFIC. At the bottom of your comment, please put a list of the psychological and legal terms you used. 

Eyewitness Guide

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:14 PM | 38 Comments

 

Read the Guide. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/178240.pdf.

Do these procedures seem difficult to you?  Do they seem reasonable? Why are they important and how can they help preserve the quality of the evidence collected?

Lineups

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:12 PM | 0 Comments

Lineup Construction and Evaluation

Go here: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/AppCommon/

Choose a guy (search on some characteristics, or a name).

Then find fillers to match

Copy and paste into a word document

Print.

Show to friends, collect data according to instructions provided in the below link.

Read: http://eyewitness.utep.edu/consult05B.html

Calculate lineup bias: http://eyewitness.utep.edu/documents/bias-calc.xls 

Bring your lineup and data analysis results to class today (thursday).

Criminal Profiling and Psychological Autopsies

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:07 PM | 40 Comments

Read Chapter 5 of your textbook.

Summarize the chapter. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? What do you know now that you did not know prior to reading these chapters? How have your views about criminal profiling changed (or not) through these readings? Had you even ever heard of psychological autopsies? Why are they important?

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post

Explore!

http://readsh101.com/m/0914/06/cu.html

Silence of the Lambs

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:04 PM | 39 Comments

 

This movie has concepts from several chapters throughout the book, and your other readings.

Next, write your comment. Primarily, your comment should focus on the elements of the movie that are accurate and inaccurate in terms of profiling.  Your comment does not need to provide an overview of the movie (we have all seen it). Your comment should be an in-depth analysis of one or more principles from your text or other readings. You should use scenes and characters to provide examples of textbook concepts. Your comment should reflect that you are in a university level Psychology & Law course and clearly link elements from the movie to your readings.  This is a comprehensive assignment (linking course lectures, readings, and the movie) and you cannot do that in just a few short paragraphs.

BE SPECIFIC. At the bottom of your comment, please put a list of the psychological and legal terms you used. 

Lie Detection and Interrogation

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:01 PM | 42 Comments

 

Read Chapters 2 and 3. (Your post does not need to be double length even though it is over 2 chapters).

Summarize the chapter. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? Do you think you are a good lie detector? Why or why not? Do you think anyone can be? What about polygraphs? Do people always know that they are being interrogated? Why would that matter?

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post

Explore!

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Talk to the Police 

You Have the Right To Remain Silent--Or Do You?

How Private is Your Phone?

Interrogation Research at ISU

She can convince you that you committed a crime 

Real Interrogations

By maclink on January 13, 2013 4:00 PM | 36 Comments

Browse this website: http://investigation.discovery.com/tv/real-interrogations/real-interrogations.html

watch some interrogations, take some quizzes.

what did you learn? what most surprised you? what does psychology have to do with it all?

Competence and Insanity

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:53 PM | 39 Comments

Read Chapters 8 & 9 of your textbook (your post does not need to be double length even though it is over 2 chapters).

Summarize the chapters. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? What do you know now that you did not know prior to reading these chapters? How have your views of insanity changed (or not) through these readings?

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post

Andrea Yates

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:51 PM | 39 Comments

Read Chapter 19 in Minds on Trial

What psychological characteristics were evident in Andrea Yates' case? Describe those characteristics and how they related to her competence/sanity.

Google around and find out 3 things you didn't know about her case and describe that information. Include your links at the bottom of the post.

 

 

 

Experts

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:49 PM | 38 Comments

 

Read Chapter 7 from Minds on Trial. 

Review this link: http://www.wisspd.org/htm/ATPracGuides/Experts/ExpertGuidelines.pdf

View these video clips: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/dirty-jobs/videos/bug-detective.htm (full episode is on netflix if you care to see it).

For this week's blog post, summarize the chapter, and then please reflect on who experts are, what they do, and how they can help a case.

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post

Court Visit

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:47 PM | 38 Comments
You will need to visit a courthouse and watch a proceeding sometime this semester. When you have completed your visit, please post your remarks there. Please let us know in your post where you went, what you saw and experienced, and how long you visited. Please be sure to discuss what aspects of psychology you saw in action during your visit.
 
Tips:
-Courthouses are public places. You are allowed to be there.
-Many courthouses require you to go through a metal detector; leave pocket knives, etc, at home.
-If you are not sure where to go or what to do, you can always approach the jury information window; you can tell these people that you are student and need to see a court proceeding. They will tell you which court rooms have stuff going on, and will often give you their opinion about what might be interesting to see.
-Sit in the back of the courtroom, in the gallery area; turn OFF your cell phone.
-You do not need to stay for the whole proceeding; it is acceptable to quietly enter and leave proceedings.
-Don't be surprised if the judge acknowledges you; they sometimes do and are usually quite happy to have students in their courtroom.

Jury Selection

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:45 PM | 38 Comments

 

Read Chapter 6 of your textbook.

Summarize the chapter. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? What kind of people end up on juries? Who doesn't end up on juries? Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post

Explore!

Will you be chosen?

Primal Fear

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:43 PM | 40 Comments

Primal Fear

This movie has concepts from several chapters throughout the book, and your other readings. Watch the movie. You can watch the old version, or the 'new' 1997 version.

Next, write your comment. Your comment does not need to provide an overview of the movie (we have all seen it). Your comment should be an in-depth analysis of one or more principles from your text or other readings. You should use scenes and characters to provide examples of textbook concepts. Your comment should reflect that you are in a university level Psychology & Law course and clearly link elements from the movie to your readings.  This is a comprehensive assignment (linking course lectures, readings, and the movie) and you cannot do that in just a few short paragraphs.

BE SPECIFIC. At the bottom of your comment, please put a list of the psychological and legal terms you used. 

Trial & Juries

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:35 PM | 39 Comments

 

Read Chapter 13 of your textbook.

Summarize the chapter. What information was most surpising or interesting to you? How does an individual juror make a decision? How is that the same and different when jurors get together and have to come to a unanimous verdict? Do you have faith in the U.S. jury system? Why or why not?

Provide a list of psychological and legal terms you used at the bottom of your post

Explore!

Trauma Informed Judges

12 Angry Men

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:33 PM | 40 Comments

This movie has concepts from several chapters throughout the book, and your other readings. Watch the movie. You can watch the old version, or the 'new' 1997 version.

Next, write your comment. Your comment does not need to provide an overview of the movie (we have all seen it). Your comment should be an in-depth analysis of one or more principles from your text or other readings. You should use scenes and characters to provide examples of textbook concepts. Your comment should reflect that you are in a university level Psychology & Law course and clearly link elements from the movie to your readings.  This is a comprehensive assignment (linking course lectures, readings, and the movie) and you cannot do that in just a few short paragraphs.

BE SPECIFIC. At the bottom of your comment, please put a list of the psychologyical and legal terms you used. 

Corrections: Punishment & Prison

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:30 PM | 37 Comments

 

Read Chapter 16 of your textbook.

Summarize the chapter. What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned? Do you think punishment can work? Why or why not?

Provide a list of terms you used at the bottom of your post

Explore!

The Poor are punished more


Stanford Prison Experiment

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:28 PM | 38 Comments

Review the website.  What most interested/surprised you? What did you learn? How does psychology relate?

http://www.prisonexp.org/

Welcome to the Stanford Prison Experiment web site, which features an extensive slide show and information about this classic psychology experiment, including parallels with the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. What happens when you put good people in an evil place? Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph? These are some of the questions we posed in this dramatic simulation of prison life conducted in the summer of 1971 at Stanford University.

Corrections: The Death Penalty

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:23 PM | 38 Comments

Read Chapter 17 of your textbook.

Summarize the chapter, then answer these questions. What information was most surpising to you? What information was most confusing to you? What information do you want to learn more about? How has your opinion changed (or not) regarding the death penalty?

Provide a list of terms you used at the bottom of your post

Shawshank Redemption

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:22 PM | 38 Comments

This movie has concepts from several chapters throughout the book, and your other readings. Watch the movie.

Next, write your comment. Your comment does not need to provide an overview of the movie (we have all seen it). Your comment should be an in-depth analysis of one or more principles from your text or other readings. You should use scenes and characters to provide examples of textbook concepts. Your comment should reflect that you are in a university level Psychology & Law course and clearly link elements from the movie to your readings.  This is a comprehensive assignment (linking course lectures, readings, and the movie) and you cannot do that in just a few short paragraphs.

BE SPECIFIC. At the bottom of your comment, please put a list of the psychologyical and legal terms you used. 

Innocence

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:17 PM | 36 Comments

Read through these links on innocence projects, and then move on to the Perfect Evidence show.

Many states have 'innocence projects' which assist in exonerating people who have been wrongfully convicted. The original one is here: http://www.innocenceproject.org/

Their Mission: The Innocence Project is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.

Other innocence projects are here: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/psylaw/2012/08/innocence-projects.html

 

Listen to the show Perfect Evidence from This American Life

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/210/perfect-evidence (below is a summary):

After a decade in which DNA evidence has freed over 100 people nationwide, it's become clear that DNA evidence isn't just proving wrongdoing by criminals, it's proving wrongdoing by police and prosecutors. In this show, we look at what DNA has revealed to us: how police get innocent people to confess to crimes they didn't commit and how they get witnesses to pin crimes on innocent people. There have always been suspicions that these kinds of things take place. With DNA, there's finally irrefutable proof.

What are your thoughts innocence and the sheer numbers of innocent people who may be in prison? What is the difference between actual innocence and plain ol' innocence? Why is DNA so important? What about the cases that have no DNA? What does that mean for people's innocence and ability to prove it?


Explore!

Innocence project gets involved in Serial case 

The Hurricane

By maclink on January 13, 2013 3:11 PM | 38 Comments

This movie has concepts from several chapters throughout the book, and your other readings. Watch the movie.

Next, write your comment. Your comment does not need to provide an overview of the movie (we have all seen it). Your comment should be an in-depth analysis of one or more principles from your text or other readings. You should use scenes and characters to provide examples of textbook concepts. Your comment should reflect that you are in a university level Psychology & Law course and clearly link elements from the movie to your readings.  This is a comprehensive assignment (linking course lectures, readings, and the movie) and you cannot do that in just a few short paragraphs.

BE SPECIFIC. At the bottom of your comment, please put a list of the psychologyical and legal terms you used. 

 

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