Training In Forensic Psychology Research Articles

Towards the development of a forensic psychology training curriculum in South Africa

With the growing need for forensic mental health services and the call for increasing rigour in clinical practice, the development of specialised training programmes appears to be increasing globally. In South Africa, the licencing authority has also been focusing on this issue, and its task group has been investigating specialty training models in regard to future developments in licensure, training, qualifications, and related registration matters. The present investigation was undertaken as a way of informing this process, especially in the area of curriculum content and development. The authors undertook a survey of existing accredited forensic psychology training programmes in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The aim was to examine the qualification level, period of study, admission criteria, online study option, field placement, and the module content. The results are presented for the 62 programmes surveyed and discussed with reference to the South African context and local needs.

A comparison between British and Australian forensic psychology training

A comparison between British and Australian forensic psychology training

The impact of specialist training on professional identity, organisational membership, organisational commitment, and stress in correctional psychologists

PurposeRecent years have seen some significant changes to the psychology profession in Australia that have prompted debate about the role of specialist areas of practice. This study aims to investigate those attitudes and values that might be associated with one particular specialism, that of forensic psychology.Design/methodology/approachThe influence of specialist forensic training on the professional identity of 30 correctional psychologists was examined in relation to their self‐reported level of stress, organisational membership, and organisational commitment.FindingsThe results suggest that exposure to specialist training in forensic psychology may not be directly associated with organisational commitment, membership or stress, although some differences between forensic psychologists and those who held other professional practice qualifications were observed.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of the study include the small sample size and the use of a scale that has not been well‐validated. Replication and extension of the study is required.Practical implicationsThe study has implications for the recruitment and retention of psychologists in correctional settings and for the development of professional identity in post‐graduate training programmes.Originality/valueThis study is the first to explore the differences in professional identity, organisational commitment, organisational membership and stress in a sample of psychologists who practice in the correctional setting.

Professional Training in Applied Psychology: Towards a Signature Pedagogy for Forensic Psychology Training

Forensic Psychology is a recognised and important sub‐specialty of the Psychology discipline. However, after an expansion in the number of training places that were offered when programmes were first developed, recent years have seen these diminish in response to changes in university policies, resulting from reformulated Federal government funding models. In this article, we argue that it is important for the future of specialist areas of professional psychology to not only articulate the core skills and competencies that are associated with specialist practice but also to develop unique and distinctive approaches to teaching and learning signature pedagogies. Based on the premise that forensic psychological practice is, indeed, a distinctive activity that requires different skills and, importantly, different ways of thinking about the work from other areas of professional psychology, it is suggested that professional training in this area should aim to develop a signature pedagogy which combines methods of teaching and learning that have been developed in legal training programmes with principles of problem‐based learning.

A Survey of Graduate Training Programs and Coursework in Forensic Psychology

An increasing number of graduate programs are available to students interested in the study of forensic psychology. The growth of forensic training opportunities is reflective of the wider development of forensic psychology as a discrete specialty area. An Internet-based survey was conducted to provide descriptive information to academic advisors of students interested in pursuing graduate-level training in forensic psychology. The goals of this survey were to identify forensic psychology graduate programs, categorize these programs by degree type, and examine their coursework content. The results of this survey will be useful to advisors seeking an understanding of the graduate training opportunities available in forensic psychology.

Forensic psychology opportunities in Canadian graduate programs: An update of Simourd and Wormith's (1995) survey.

Forensic psychology has gained momentum in North America in recent decades, and Canadian psychologists have made considerable contributions to the field. Strong student interest and a high demand for professionals, however, have not been sufficiently matched with the availability of formal forensic psychology graduate training, nor with sufficient scholarly discussion of this issue. The purpose of the current study was to update Simourd and Wormith's (1995) survey of forensic psychology training available in Canadian psychology graduate programs. Of the 39 universities with psychology graduate programs, 36 (92%) responded to the survey. Twenty-four universities (67%) offered some forensic opportunities for students, although was considerable variability in the number of courses, students, and faculty members in the forensic psychology programs. Since Simourd and Wormith's (1995) survey, forensic training is available at 10 new universities. Of the 14 programs with forensic psychology content in 1995 and in the current study, however, more than half of them reported a decrease in the number of faculty and students working with forensic issues. Considering the continued demand for trained forensic psychologists in applied settings, further attention to the availability of both education and training in forensic psychology is therefore still needed. Keywords: forensic psychology, criminal justice psychology, graduate training, education Although it is a recent field, forensic psychology has undergone enormous growth in recent decades (Bersoff, GoodmanDelahunty, Glisso, Hans, Poythress, & Roesch, 1997; Glisso, Sales, & Bayless, 1982; Ogloff, 2000; Poythress, 1979; Watkins, 1992). In 1970 were no formal graduate degree programs in this area (Ogloff, 2000), but now it is a legitimate and wellrecognised field of psychology (Porter, 2004; Pozzulo, Bennell, & Forth, 2006). The growth of the field can be measured by marked increases in specialized textbooks (e.g., Andrews & Bont?, 2006; Bartol & Bartol, 201 1; Pozzulo et al., 2006), journals (e.g., Criminal Justice and Behaviour, Law and Human Behaviour, etc.), professional associations (e.g., the American Psychology-Law Society; the Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Psychological Association), as well as introductory psychology textbooks that incorporate criminal justice issues (Ogloff, 2000). Before proceeding, some introductory comments on terminology are in order. Several terms (e.g., correctional psychology, criminal justice psychology, legal psychology, criminal forensic psychology) with varying definitions have been applied to this field. We use a relatively broad definition of forensic psychology, which includes any psychological research or practice that is related to criminal behaviour. Similar to Simourd and Wormith's (1995) definition, it includes the application of psychology to the law or legal systems (e.g., assessments, eyewitness testimony, jury selection and decision-making, offender treatment) or within various criminal justice agencies (e.g., correctional facilities, courts, forensic hospitals, law enforcement, probation). Additionally, forensic psychology also includes basic psychological research on the causes of crime (e.g., evolutionary forensic psychology; Duntley & Shackelford, 2008). Although some definitions of forensic psychology have been restricted to clinical work (e.g., Committee on the Revision of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, 2010), ours includes both clinical and nonclinical activities. James Ogloff (2000) has said that there is absolutely no doubt that the future of legal psychology, whatever it holds, belongs to the students in training and those yet to come (p. 469). What does the future hold for forensic psychology? Judging by student interest, the future should be promising. Likely related to the enormous popularity of TV shows (e.g., Criminal Minds, Crime Scene Investigation) and movies (e. …

Trudging through treacle: Applying motivation theory to training in forensic psychology

Trudging through treacle: Applying motivation theory to training in forensic psychology

Training in forensic psychology: A personal view

Training in forensic psychology: A personal view

Educational and training models in forensic psychology.

The field of forensic psychology has experienced remarkable growth over the past three decades. Perhaps the best evidence of this growth is the number of forensic psychology training programs currently enrolling students. Those interested in forensic psychology can choose from several types of programs aimed at different educational outcomes. In addition, opportunities for postdoctoral fellowships, continuing education, and respecialization have become increasingly more available. Despite the increased availability of forensic psychology training programs, there is little consensus regarding the core substantive components of these programs. This article will summarize the existing educational and training models in forensic psychology programs and then identify a core set of competencies that should be considered for inclusion in doctoral-level forensic psychology training curricula to adequately prepare students for the increasingly varied roles assumed by forensic psychologists.

The Time Is Now: The Emerging Need for Master's-Level Training in Forensic Psychology

ABSTRACT Since the inception of the first doctoral program in psychology and law in 1974, master's-level training in forensic psychology has been virtually ignored by the field of psychology and law training. Given the changes in the workplace over the past few decades, master's-level clinicians are providing more psychological services, often under the supervision of doctoral-level providers. Master's training programs are emerging in forensic psychology to fill the need for forensically-trained clinicians at the master's level. This article proposes a Bifurcated Educational Model (BEM) in advocating for forensic psychology training at the master's level. Citing the Villanova Conference on Training in Law and Psychology, the authors argue for a similar approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness in master's-level programs.

Raising the Bar: The Case for Doctoral Training in Forensic Psychology

ABSTRACT In this article we argue that doctoral education is the logical entry level for professional work in forensic psychology. The broad background provided by doctoral training gives context and foundation to the specialized skills acquired through specific forensic courses, research and clinical experiences with forensic populations, and related internships and postdoctoral fellowships. The field requires ongoing research advances and nuanced professional expertise to implement state-of-the-discipline assessments and interventions. Macro- or systems-level advances also require broad training in program evaluation and policy implementation. We describe some of the features of doctoral programs as well as the benefits to prospective students of such an approach to graduate training in forensic psychology.

Graduate Students’ Experiences, Interests, and Attitudes Toward Correctional/Forensic Psychology

This study investigated the availability of correctional and forensic psychology training as well as graduate students’ experiences and attitudes toward working with offender populations. Using survey data gathered from 175 graduate students representing 30 clinical and 29 counseling psychology programs, results indicate the availability of specialized training in correctional and/or forensic psychology for approximately one half of the participants. Furthermore, correctional and forensic practicum experiences appear to be as commonly available as other specialty practicum experiences, and participants report general case loads with clients who have a history of criminal and antisocial behavior. Finally, it is noted that graduate students, regardless of prior practicum or work experiences, maintain positive attitudes toward inmates and perceive work with offenders as interesting, challenging, and meaningful.

Reviewing Graduate Training Models in Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology continues to receive widespread support and popularity. A similar trend exists with its education and training programs. The core of this attention at the graduate level relates to the operation of various instructional models. To date, no systematic assessment of these models has been developed. This article describes the three leading approaches to graduate education and training in forensic psychology. Four instructional themes including: (1) educational framework; (2) definition of client-practitioner relationship; (3) method of intervention; and (4) definition of psychologist-organization relationship are delineated. Both the strengths and limitations of each model, given their respective positions on the identified themes, are outlined. The article concludes by speculating on the implications of each approach for future forensic psychological practice.

Research training in forensic psychology: National survey of forensic facilities.

Une enquete effectuee aupres de 103 directeurs renseigne sur le statut, l'organisation et le programme de la psychologie judiciaire aux Etats-Unis

A proposal for training in forensic psychology.

A proposal for training in forensic psychology.

A proposal for training in forensic psychology.

A proposal for training in forensic psychology.

Internship Training in Forensic Psychology.

Internship Training in Forensic Psychology.