In this assessment, write 3–5 pages on assessment in forensic psychology.
Backstory/Context: One of the roles of a forensic psychologist is to complete mental health assessments. Criminal behavior may have many origins, and mental health assessment offers one way to identify neurological and psychological factors that may be applied to specific circumstances. There’s been a long history of applying different forms of the “insanity defense” in criminal cases as well as considering one’s competency to stand trial. Mental health discussions arise for many reasons in criminal cases. In this first assessment, you will explore the use of mental health assessments in a particular situation as well consider how ethics influence such assessment.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 2: Apply reliability and validity and generalizability to research findings and assessments.
- Describe the purpose of assessment in forensic psychology.
- Describe the reliability and validity of assessments.
- Competency 3: Apply psychological ethical principles to forensic psychology.
- Apply ethical principles to forensic psychology assessments.
- Competency 4: Apply information literacy skills to problems in forensic psychology.
- Apply evidence from peer-reviewed journal articles.
- Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
- Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors.
- Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
Step 1: Use the following topic:
- Assessing offenders for competency to stand trial.
Step 2: Please read the articles in the Assessment 1: Research section of your reading list.
https://research-ebsco-com.library.capella.edu/c/vkpdgc/viewer/pdf/a3ps6zhvab?route=details
https://www-sciencedirect-com.library.capella.edu/science/article/pii/S1359178917303154?via%3Dihub
Step 3: Use the Psychology Ethics resource to read about ethics that can apply to the assessment of offenders. Consider the implications of Section 2, Competence, and Section 9, Assessment, in relation to using the DSM-5-TR for forensic psychology work.
https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.html
https://psychiatryonline-org.library.capella.edu/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9781615375363
Step 4: Then look for peer-reviewed journal article(s) on the reliability and validity of mental health assessments and measures.
Using the APA format write a paper that includes the following:
- Discuss the purpose of behavioral or mental health assessment in forensic psychology.
- Provide examples of when assessments would be used concerning your topic.
- Describe what forensic psychologists do with the results of tests and measures concerning your topic.
- Discuss the reliability and validity of tests and measures.
- Indicate how you decide if a test or measure is reliable and valid.
- Describe how to determine if the test or measure is appropriate to the individual and the mental health diagnosis concerning your chosen topic.
- Discuss the APA ethical code of conduct considerations that impact assessment in forensic psychology.
- Provide examples related to the topic you chose of those ethics in action.
Be sure you review the Assessment in Forensic Psychology scoring guide to ensure that you have met all the criteria for this assessment.
- References: At least five references—your textbook, the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, and three peer-reviewed journal articles. Note: You can use sources from the sources provided in your reading list.
- Length of paper: 3–5 pages.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.