Exam 1: B: An Introduction to Forensic Psychology

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a.Biological theories
-E.g.,Sheldon's constitutional theory suggests that body build and temperament are linked; mesomorphs,due to their aggressive nature and muscular build,are more likely to become involved in crime.
b.Sociological theories
-E.g.,Merton's strain theory suggests that certain people (e.g.,those from the lower class)have restricted access to legitimate means (e.g.,education)to achieve valued goals of success (e.g.,high paying jobs); some of these individuals will turn to illegitimate means (e.g.,crime)in an attempt to achieve these goals.
c.Psychological theories
-E.g.,Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation suggests that early separation of children from their mothers prevents effective social development from taking place; without effective social development,children will experience problems developing positive social relationships and will instead develop antisocial inclinations.

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-The general acceptance test is a standard for accepting expert testimony.It states that expert testimony will be admissible in court if the basis of the testimony is generally accepted within the scientific community in which it belongs.
-This test formed the basis for admissibility decisions for many years in the United States; however,the major criticism associated with it comes from the vagueness of terms such as "general acceptance" and "the particular field in which it belongs" and whether judges are able to appropriately determine the scope of these terms.

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a.The Mohan criteria are the Canadian criteria which outline factors that should be considered when determining the admissibility of expert testimony in court.The four criteria are:
-The evidence must be relevant.
-The evidence must be necessary for assisting the trier of fact (i.e.,it goes beyond the common understanding of court).
-The evidence must not violate any rules of exclusion (i.e.,it must not relate to whether a witness is telling the truth).
-The testimony must be provided by a qualified expert.
b.These criteria are potentially problematic as they are highly subject to the discretion of the judge and judges can sometimes be wrong (e.g.,the judge determines if the evidence actually goes beyond the common understanding of the jury).