Applied Criminal Psychology
Code: 100446 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2500257 Criminology | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Elena Garrido Gaitán
- Email:
- elena.garrido@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
English knowledge B1 level.
Highly recommended to have passed the course "Fonaments de la Psicologia Criminal".
The teaching of the subject will be taught taking into account the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals
Spanish will be the language of the lectures, although the readings and papers associated to the course could be in catalan or in english.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The main goals of the subject assume some of the primary objectives of the degree, such as knowing the psychological basis of Criminology and introducing the lexicon of the Criminal and Forensic Psychology. Specifically, students will have to understand the basic psychological processes and personality factors related to the criminological study from a psychological point of view.
We will work in applied knowledge, deepening on the personality types and their influence on the generation and maintenance of criminal behavior. At the same time, and as a primary goal, students will have to achieve the integration of elements of psychology in the daily work of the criminologist, as the study of the witness quality, interview techniques and understanding the criminal motivation. We highlight that part of the objectives are focused on the improvement of the competences linked to the reintegration in contexts of criminal execution, as well as on the aid and support to victims.
Competences
- Ability to analyse and summarise.
- Drawing up an academic text.
- Properly using the legal, psychological, pedagogical and sociological language.
- Students must demonstrate they know the psychological and sociological concepts and foundations of criminology.
- Using research methods in social sciences in order to diagnose criminality problems.
- Working autonomously.
- Working in teams and networking.
Learning Outcomes
- Ability to analyse and summarise.
- Applying the vocabulary of legal psychology.
- Drawing up an academic text.
- Laying the foundations for the psychological foundations of criminology.
- Using research methods in those psychological fields related with criminology.
- Working autonomously.
- Working in teams and networking.
Content
1. The criminal investigation and psychological Profiling
- - Theoretical and historical concepts. Definition
- - Profiling techniques
- - Current applications of profiling techniques
- - The process of profilling
2. Types of psychological profiles
- - Inductive vs. Deductive
- - Psychological analysis of the crime scene
- - Types of profiles based on the obtaining information technique
- - Types of profiles according on the type of crime
3. Criminal Motivation
- - Motivational study of criminal behavior
- - Study of criminal motivation.
- - Motivation according type of crime
- - Psychological aspects applied to the study of crime
4. Criminal psychology applied to criminal Investigation
- - Witness psychology (memory, accuracy and credibility)
- - Study of decision-making in courts
5. Risk of violence prediction
- - Basis of the risk violence prediction
- - Violence prediction tools and strategies
6. Obtaining information techniques
- - Psychological basis for the effectiveness of interrogation
- - A proposal to improve psychological recall: Cognitive Interview
- - Interview applied to criminal investigation
Note: Students will be able to consult the calendar of lectures and the schedule of deliveries though the Moodle Virtual Campus at the beginning of the course.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures | 19.5 | 0.78 | 2, 4, 6, 7 |
| Practice Sessions | 19.5 | 0.78 | 2, 4, 1, 7, 5 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Assessment | 5 | 0.2 | 2, 4, 3, 1, 6, 7, 5 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Essays | 36 | 1.44 | 2, 4, 3, 1, 6, 7, 5 |
| Group Paper (Final Paper) | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 4, 3, 1, 6, 7, 5 |
| Paper Readings | 40 | 1.6 | 2, 4, 1, 6 |
In lecture classes, students will receive theoretical and technical information. In the seminar sessions (practice), they will recieve tools to assume the theoretical concepts in a more applied way analyzing cases, working as a team on deduction tasks and proposing ways of intervention from Criminal Psychology. Finally, under supervision, students will have to write the course papers.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 final course paper | 30% | 0 | 0 | 2, 4, 3, 1, 6, 7, 5 |
| 2 deduction / discussion papers | 30% | 0 | 0 | 2, 4, 3, 1, 6, 7, 5 |
| 2 midterms | 40% | 0 | 0 | 2, 4, 1, 6 |
The approach we propose aims to bring different marks on participation in the course in a continuous assessment of students. Therefore we will create discussion tasks in which we will be assessing the students.
A continuous assessment, measured through practice, written comments and a final exam will be held.
ITEMS OF THE EVALUATION
To pass the course students will have pass with at least a mark of 5 each of the tasks evaluated:
a) 2 individual deduction / discussion essays (30% of final mark)
These works will be requested during the semester and will focus on answering questions about two papers (Available on Moodle).
b) 1 group paper with an oral exhibition (30% of final mark)
Students will analyze a case proposed at the beginning of the course. According to this case, students will develop some aspects throughout the semester to finally expose it to the group.
c) 2 midterms exams (40% of final mark) On the theoretical content taught in the course.
Students will be assessable as long as they have carried out a set of activities whose proportion is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the subject's total grade (although we remember that each evidence must be passed with a minimum of 5). If the value of the activities carried out does not reach this threshold (for example if they only deliver or present 1 paper or exam), the subject teacher may consider the student as not assessable.
ATTENDANCE
-Attendance is mandatory 100% (Grade regulations). There will be a control system. If a student misses more than the 80% of the lessons (lectures or seminars), he/she will not be assessed.
- If a student does not attend at least 80% of the teaching activities cannot pass the course.
- Excused absences are accepted and the teacher will allow the student to recover the work done in class in the case of excused absence. An excused absence must be documented. Excused absences can only be derived from illness or similar situations.
- If the teaching activity cannot be performed by student strike or teachers, students shall be required to prepare the content on their own and will be assessed.
- Teachers can provide students with specific material to prepare the content that had been discussed in the lecture class. (Agreement of the Professor-Students Committee, June 2012).
- Classes start on time. Entry into class is not allowed once it has started, nor can you leave before the scheduled time, provided there is not a justifiable reason.
RESIT
Those who fail the continuous assessment they can try to pass the course in the final weeks of the course. According to papers or exams, they can be passed in the sessions scheduled for this purpose but the maximum score at the recovery exam will be 7 marks.
If during an exam, any student is detected cheating from another student or from any other material, automatically he/she will fail the course without the option of resit at the end of the semester. In case of plagiarism in a paper, each case will be analyzed, and the student could eventually fail the entire course without the option of resit. Students who present a paper that is suspected of plagiarism will obtain a 0 and a warning. In case of repetition of the conduct, students will suspend the subject (0) and lose their rightto resit.
UNIQUE ASSESSMENT
Students who choose the unique assessment must indicate it to the teaching team. The assessment will consist of a single exam session in which the case analysis paper will be delivered and lectured (30%), as well as carried out:
- Exam that willinclude the theoretical knowledge of the course (40%), based on the mandatory references
- Exam that will include the knowledge of the mandatory readings (30%), available in our Moodle platform.
To pass the course students will have pass with at least a mark of 5 each of the tasks evaluated.
UNIVERSITAT A L'ABAST
Because of its special status in this course, we beg the students of the Universitat a l'Abast to contact the professor of the subject at the beginning of the course to set targets for evaluation and monitoring of the course.
Bibliography
On the Virtual platform (Moodle) students will find extracts from the mandatory bibliography of the subject:
- Burón, J. (2011). Psicología médico-forense (2ª ed.). Desclée de Brouwe.
- Garrido, E.; Lovelle, I.; Mora, S & Pina, R. (2022). Introducción a la psicología forense. Principios para la evaluación. Editorial UOC
- Garrido, E., Masip, J. & Herrero, M. C. (Coord) (2006). Psicología jurídica. Pearson Educación.
- Garrido, V. (2005). ¿Qué es la psicología criminológica? Biblioteca Nueva
- Garrido, V. & Redondo, S. (2013). Principios de criminología. 4a edicion. Tirant lo Blanch.
- Sierra, J. C., Jiménez, E. M. y Buela-Casal, G. (Coords.)(2006). Psicología forense: Manual de técnicas y aplicaciones. Biblioteca Nueva.
- Soria, M. A. - coord. (2005). Manual de psicología jurídica e investigación criminal. Pirámide
- Soria, M. A. & Sáiz, D. (Coords.) (2006). Psicología criminal. Pearson Educación.
- Vázquez, B. (2005). Manual de psicología forense. Síntesis
Software
Moodle System
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan/Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |