Introduction

One of the roles of a forensic psychologist is to complete mental health assessments. Criminal behavior may have many origins, and mental health assessment offers one way to identify neurological and psychological factors that may be applied to specific circumstances. There’s been a long history of applying different forms of the insanity defense in criminal cases as well as considering one’s competency to stand trial. Mental health discussions arise for many reasons in criminal cases. In this first assessment, you will explore the use of mental health assessments in a particular situation as well consider how ethics influence such assessment.

Preparation

Step 1: Choose one of the following topics:

• Assessing offenders for potential insanity defense.

Step 2: Please read the articles in the section of your reading list.

Step 3: Use the resource to read about ethics that can apply to the assessment of offenders. Consider the implications of Section 2, Competence, and Section 9, Assessment, in relation to using the DSM-5-TR for forensic psychology work.

Step 4: Then look in the for peer-reviewed journal article(s) on the reliability and validity of mental health assessments and measures.

Instructions

Using the , write a paper that includes the following:

• Discuss the purpose of behavioral or mental health assessment in forensic psychology.
• Provide examples of when assessments would be used concerning your topic.
• Describe what forensic psychologists do with the results of tests and measures concerning your topic.
• Discuss the reliability and validity of tests and measures.
• Indicate how you decide if a test or measure is reliable and valid.
• Describe how to determine if the test or measure is appropriate to the individual and the mental health diagnosis concerning your chosen topic.
• Discuss the APA ethical code of conduct considerations that impact assessment in forensic psychology.
• Provide examples related to the topic you chose of those ethics in action.

Be sure you review the Assessment in Forensic Psychology scoring guide to ensure that you have met all the criteria for this assessment.

Additional Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to the style and formatting standards.
• References: At least five referencesyour textbook, the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, and three peer-reviewed journal articles. Note: You can use sources from the sources provided in your reading list.
• Length of paper: 35 pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 2: Apply reliability and validity and generalizability to research findings and assessments.
• Describe the purpose of assessment in forensic psychology.
• Describe the reliability and validity of assessments.
• Competency 3: Apply psychological ethical principles to forensic psychology.
• Apply ethical principles to forensic psychology assessments.
• Competency 4: Apply information literacy skills to problems in forensic psychology.
• Apply evidence from peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
• Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors.
• Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.

Week 8 Final Essay Exam 100 Total Possible Points The Final Essay Exam is due for submission by 11:55 pm ET Sunday of WEEK 8 of the course to the Week 8 Assignment Link accessed through the Assignments Link on the left of the main course screen. The school Late Policy applies to all course assignments and can be found in the course syllabus. Each response must be a minimum of 250 words, include APA formatted, in-text citations, and a full, APA formatted reference list at the end of each response. For assistance and resources on APA formatting style, please see the APUS Writing Center at Writing@APUS. You may also see Purdue’s OWL for general APA formatting information and for formatting help on many topics. The total possible points for the Final Essay Exam is 100 points; point allocation for each short essay response is indicated above each question. Please see the assignment rubric for a complete point breakdown and contact your professor with additional questions or concerns. The following questions are worth 22 possible points each. Maslow noted that humans have some needs that press over others. Discuss, with adequate detail, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and provide an example of how his structure allows people to prioritize the various needs experienced. Increased cue availability in the decision-making process generally leads to better, more accurate decisions being made. Ecological rationality is, in part, grounded by this assertion. Explain the concept of ecological rationality, its accepted limitations, and its benefits as a model in decision-making. Share your thoughts on its usefulness to your own decision-making processes. Define and discuss the concept of intelligence. Considering the types of intelligence presented in the course materials, which conceptualization do you believe most comprehensively represents human intelligence? Provide your rationale for your selection. Discuss the relationship between memory and learning, exploring whether one process disproportionately affects the other or if these two processes have reciprocal influences on each other. Share a few methods or techniques that might be applied to enhance or improve the affected process or processes in this relationship, ultimately resulting in better memory or improved learning capabilities. The following question is worth 12 points. Discuss the most useful information you have learned in Cognition and Learning. Share the ways the new knowledge will affect your day-to-day activities, or thoughts about your activities, moving forward.