Part 1: Application: Research and Juvenile Competency and the Courts

Research can be applied in the court system in the area of juvenile competency. In fact, there is an extensive research project on issues of juvenile justice conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice. This multifaceted research project "seeks to expand the base of knowledge about the origins, development, prevention, and treatment of juvenile crime and delinquency."* An additional goal of this research is to improve the current decision-making processes of the juvenile system and to set the stage for future reforms in juvenile justice policies and practices. One aspect of this major research undertaking is the MacArthur Juvenile Competence Study. Much information has come from this project and the empirical data is helping to reshape juvenile justice codes on juvenile competence to stand trial.

*MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice. (n.d.). MacArthur Foundation Reasearch Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice. Retrieved October 2, 2009, fromhttp://www.adjj.org/content/index.php

In this week's Application Assignment, you examine various aspects of this interesting area of research and how such research can be applied in a court setting.You also explore juvenile development in general and how developmental issues shape the legal criteria of competence to stand trial for juvenile defendants, both of which can have broad application in the courts.

To prepare for this assignment:

• Review the web article, "Issue Brief 1: Adolescent Legal Competence in Court." Think about how this information might assist a forensic psychology professional who is tasked with assessing a juvenile's competency to stand trial.

• Using the Walden Library, select a research article dealing with the assessment of juvenile competency to stand trial.

• Review the article you selected and reflect on how the study was conducted as well as how it might assist a forensic psychology professional who is tasked with assessing a juvenile's competency to stand trial.

The assignment (1-2 pages):

• Explain the use of forensic psychology research in court settings.

• Briefly summarize the research study you selected, including how juvenile competency to stand trial was assessed.

• Explain how a forensic psychology professional might use this research study when assessing a juvenile's competency to stand trial.

Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this week.

Part 2;

Applying Research in Court Settings

Psychologists have interacted with the courts much longer than forensic psychology has been recognized as a field. Indeed, the usage of psychological expertise and data by the court and legal systems is quite broad. Attorneys, for example, hire psychologists and forensic psychology professionals as consultants to assist in the selection of a jury suitable to their client's case. Expert testimony from psychologists and forensic psychology professionals has been proffered on many subjects to help jurors better understand technical and scientific data. Psychological research on how a jury works and how jurors make decisions has shed new light on the legal process. Even family courts rely on psychological data and expert testimony to aid in the awarding of child custody during divorce proceedings. Reading research studies related to court settings will familiarize you with a wide variety of empirical data used in the court system.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review this week's DVD program, "Application of Psychological Research - Court Settings."Think about how psychological research can guide the practice of forensic psychology relative to various issues presented in court settings.
 
• Review the article, "The Effects of Pretrial Publicity on Juror Verdicts: A Meta-Analytic Review." Pay particular attention to the studies reviewed in this meta-analysis and think about how a forensic psychology professional working in a court setting might use this information.
 
• Review the article, "On the ‘ General Acceptance' of Eyewitness Testimony Research: A New Survey of Experts." Focus on how experts in the field of psychology evaluated eye witness testimony in a court setting. Consider how the results reported from the questionnaire given to the expert psychologists might be used or applied by professionals working in a court setting.
 
• Using the Walden Library, identify a psychological research study that could be used in a court setting by a forensic psychologist or forensic psychology professional.
 
• Review the methods and results sections of this research study and think about how this study might be used by forensic psychologists or forensic psychology professionals working in a court setting.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief description of the research study you selected. Then, explain the parts of this study that you believe might be important for a forensic psychology professional working in a court setting. Finally, explain how a forensic psychology professional might use the results of the study in a court setting.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.