Learning outcomes of the curricular unit

Forensic Psychology is an optional Curricular Unit in the curriculum. This Curricular Unit is intended to make students be aware of the connection between the fields of psychology and law, debating and conveying a basic knowledge of concepts and issues concerning the intersection of psychology and justice. This knowledge will be approached through the exploration of general concepts and the debate of specific problems emerging from forensic psychology, as an area of psychology applied to questions of justice and judicial decision, namely: forensic expertise, deviant behavior, victimology, psychological theories of judicial decision making. The UC forensic psychology will also seek to characterize the psychological. This UC will also seek to characterize the psychological dynamics resulting from contact with the justice system.

Syllabus

A. Forensic psychology
1. Application of Psychology to judicial matters.
2. Basics, contributions, limitations and contexts of application
3. Psychological assessment and expertise in the forensic context - the main issues.
4. Consultancy

B. Introduction to Psychology of Deviant Behavior
1. Concepts: deviance, transgression, marginality
2. Theoretical approaches to deviant behavior: biological, psychological, sociological, biopsychossocial.

C. Victimization phenomena
1. Conceptual framework of the main forms of victimization of adults and children (domestic violence, child abuse)
2. Basic concepts for understanding phenomena of victimization (eg., risk, danger and resilience).

D. Psychological dynamics of involvement in the justice system
1. Secondary victimization
2. Approaching the victim by Justice System Professionals - Contributions of Psychology

E. Introduction to Psychological Theories of Judicial Decision Making