Ethics

Psychologists of all specialties take ethical principles and standards very seriously, and forensic psychology professionals are no exception. Following a basic ethical code of conduct is important to criminal behavior research, particularly because subjects used for research are often incarcerated or otherwise legally restricted. A crucial duty of the researcher is to insure that participant rights are protected in the research process. Another duty is to maintain trust and integrity in the research setting. A researcher who follows the standards set forth by the American Psychological Association is more likely to accomplish these important goals and, in the process, conduct research based on knowledge that is gained in a fair and honest manner.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct" on the American Psychological Association Web site. Consider how the principles and codes apply to conducting research in criminal behavior.

• Review the "Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research" on the Office of Research Integrity Web site. Reflect on how these standards may apply to the conduct of research in criminal behavior.

• Select at least one ethical principle and one research standard and reflect on how they might be applied to conducting research in criminal behavior.

With these thoughts in mind:??Post by Day 3 a brief description of one ethical principle and one research standard that you think apply to conducting research in criminal behavior. Then, explain how each applies, using specific examples.

Note: Put the ethical principle and research standard you described in the first line of your post. You will be asked to respond to a colleague who described either a different ethical principle or a different research standard than you did.?Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

DISCUSSION BOARD

Challenges

Two challenges related to studying and conducting research in criminal behavior are expressed in theoreticism and territorialism. Theoreticism is the tendency of theorists to ignore evidence that may contradict a favored theory. Similarly, territorialism is the practice of discounting evidence and arguments that are outside one's own narrow specialty area or academic discipline.??As you might gather, restricting study to a singular academic discipline may impede progress toward the understanding of any subject, criminal behavior included. Embracing the interdisciplinary nature of criminal behavior in fact makes for dynamic and interesting research.

Another set of challenges emerges in criminal behavior research when it is viewed only through a purely academic or scientific lens-as criminal behavior itself involves social values, public policy, and legal issues that must be taken into account when conducting research.??Given that such research into criminal behavior is carried out to illuminate its causes, meeting these challenges makes it more likely that criminal behavior will be better understood and, in turn, lead to the development of more effective steps toward prevention, reduction, and elimination of crime.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the article, "Searching for the Soul of Criminology," focusing on challenges related to studying and researching criminal behavior.

• Review the course media, "Ethics and Challenges," with Drs. Scott Duncan and Charis Kubrin. Reflect on the challenges that they discuss related to researching and studying criminal behavior, and consider how these may be addressed.

• Select at least two specific challenges related to studying and researching criminal behavior.

• Think of examples that may best represent the challenges you selected, and consider why.

• Reflect on how the challenges you selected may be addressed.

With these thoughts in mind:??Post by Day 4 a brief description of at least two challenges related to studying criminal behavior and conducting research in it, describing specific examples that may best represent these challenges. Then, explain how each challenge might be addressed, also using specific examples.

Note: Put the challenges you described in the first line of your post. You will be asked to respond to a colleague who described at least one challenge that you did not.

APPLICATION

For your Final Project, you will select three case scenarios from the e-book you referenced in Week 6 of this course (Heilbrun, Marczyk, and DeMatteo, 2002), each case scenario representing a different type of offender (i.e., mentally disordered offender, sex offender, violent offender, family violence offender, female offender, white-collar criminal, cybercriminal, or terrorist), and apply a specific theoretical approach to the criminal behaviors displayed in each case. You also will analyze the degree to which developmental risk factors and correlates of criminal behavior influence the criminal behavior that the offender exhibits. Finally, you will evaluate whether or not the offender in each case scenario is a criminal. Note: Although assessment is an integral step in the tasks you complete in this Final Project, for the purposes of this course and Final Project, you will not assess the offenders in the case scenarios you select.

Your Final Project may be presented via one of the following options:

• A 10- to 12-page (not including references, title page, or abstract), double-spaced, APA-formatted paper.
• References and citations may be included at the end of the presentation in the final slides, or they may be included throughout the presentation after the applicable information.
• The presentation should demonstrate proficiency in the use of PowerPoint. Your Instructor cannot offer any guidance on technical issues.

The Final Project must include:

• A minimum of 5 references (in addition to any course readings that you may wish to reference). Please be aware that user-created websites such as Wikipedia will not be accepted as scholarly references. (Please consult the Walden University Library's instructions for evaluating research resources, which includes a link to criteria for evaluating resources.)

• A brief of each of the three case scenarios you selected.
• A description of each of the criminal behaviors exhibited by the offender in each case scenario.
• An analysis of how you might apply a specific biological, psychological, or sociological theory or approach to understanding and explaining each of the criminal behaviors. Be sure to select a different theory or approach for each behavior you discuss.
• A description of the correlates and developmental risk factors that influence the specific criminal behaviors.
• An analysis of how each correlate and developmental risk factor influences the specific criminal behaviors.
• An answer to the question "Is this person a criminal?" with an analysis of why or why not.

Reference

e-book: Heilbrun, K., Marczyk, G. R., & DeMatteo, D. (2002). Forensic mental health assessment: A casebook. New York: Oxford Press?Use the eBooks Collection and search by title in the