The Forensic Psychologist as Consultant: Examples from a Jurisprudent Science Perspective

Drogin, Eric Y.

doi:10.1177/009318530703500302

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The diagnostic evaluation in the forensic field, therefore, reflects the need to combine skills from different disciplines, especially the sciences of the psyche and the science of law ( Drogin, 2007 ; Drogin et al, 2011 ). From the first, recognized as the referring science, come theories, paradigms, methods and tools, from the second, assumed to be just referring of context, comes a normative frame within which the forensic advisor may work, defining the role and tasks ( Wrightsman, 1999 ; De Leo and Patrizi, 2002 ; Grisso, 2003 ; Grisso and Vincent, 2005 ; Patrizi, 2012 ).…”

Section: Legal Sciences and Psychological Sciencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Clinical Assessment in the Legal Field: An Empirical Study of Bias and Limitations in Forensic Expertise

et al. 2015

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According to the literature, psychological assessment in forensic contexts is one of the most controversial application areas for clinical psychology. This paper presents a review of systematic judgment errors in the forensic field. Forty-six psychological reports written by psychologists, court consultants, have been analyzed with content analysis to identify typical judgment errors related to the following areas: (a) distortions in the attribution of causality, (b) inferential errors, and (c) epistemological inconsistencies. Results indicated that systematic errors of judgment, usually referred also as “the man in the street,” are widely present in the forensic evaluations of specialist consultants. Clinical and practical implications are taken into account. This article could lead to significant benefits for clinical psychologists who want to deal with this sensitive issue and are interested in improving the quality of their contribution to the justice system.

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Section: Legal Sciences and Psychological Sciencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Clinical Assessment in the Legal Field: An Empirical Study of Bias and Limitations in Forensic Expertise

et al. 2015

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“…It is a process of automated reasoning that yields certain conclusions about the data that are calculated. These scoring errors can at times be quite pronounced and have been addressed in depth in the professional literature (Drogin, 2007). Thus, forensic psychiatrists who are insufficiently trained are unable to rely on their own resources when reviewing the simple T-scores or even raw scores to make a determination since they are so totally reliant on what the computerized interpretation may indicate.…”

Section: Scoring Accuracy and Appropriate Administrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Should Forensic Psychiatrists Conduct Psychological Testing?

Dattilio¹,

Sadoff²,

Drogin³

et al. 2011

The Journal of Psychiatry & Law

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Forensic psychiatrists occasionally conduct psychological testing, for a host of reasons that may include a lack of access to psychological consultation, a lack of funding for such consultation, or a genuine belief that they are technically and legally qualified to select, administer, score, and interpret the most suitable instruments for informing a particular medicolegal opinion. This phenomenon may have several clinical, ethical, and legal ramifications, depending upon the forensic psychiatrist's level of training, the forensic issues being addressed, and the nature of the psychological tests employed. In this article, the authors distinguish between what constitute "psychological tests" as opposed to appraisals, rating scales, and inventories. Also addressed is the need for formal training and supervision, including familiarity with the mechanics of test construction and statistically determined interpretive limitations. The authors offer recommendations and provide several case vignettes that illustrate how these issues may surface in both civil and criminal law contexts. The article concludes with the caveat

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“…When it comes to forensic psychological assessment and forensic reports, there are many avenues of vulnerability for testifying experts, such as imprecise assertions of certainty, a lack of understanding about probability, and scoring errors (Drogin, 2007). Automated testing is a problem in this context as well, particularly for clinicians who, when reaching forensic conclusions and constructing forensic reports, are "unable to rely on their own resources" and are thus "totally reliant on what the computerized interpretation may indicate" (Dattilio et al, 2011, p. 485).…”

Section: Proffering Clinical Opinions For Use Within An Adversarial S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forensic assessment.

Drogin¹,

Biswas²

APA Handbook of Clinical Psychology: Applications and Methods (Vol. 3).

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Anchored in the foundational discipline of clinical psychology, forensic assessment is designed to offer the legal system the most refined, established, and creditable opinions clinicians can produce. The stakes could scarcely be higher; forensic assessment outcomes may literally be matters of life or death. Expert witnesses are subjected to heightened, at times aggressive scrutiny, not only by the attorneys who oppose them, but often by the attorneys who hire them as well. In this rarified environment, it sometimes appears as though clinical psychology itself is on trial. In this chapter, we address how psychological assessment is used in the crucible of criminal and civil legal practice.

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The Forensic Psychologist as Consultant: Examples from a Jurisprudent Science Perspective

Cited by 8 publications

References 29 publications

The Clinical Assessment in the Legal Field: An Empirical Study of Bias and Limitations in Forensic Expertise

The Clinical Assessment in the Legal Field: An Empirical Study of Bias and Limitations in Forensic Expertise

Should Forensic Psychiatrists Conduct Psychological Testing?

Forensic assessment.

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