Psychology and the Law
Fall 2021
Competency to Stand Trial, Criminal Responsibility, and Insanity
Terms
Positive symptoms
Hallucinations
Delusions
Blunted/Flat Affect
Negative symptoms
Command hallucinations
Disorganized Thought/Speech
Neologism
Actus reus
Mens rea
Criminal negligence
People/Court Cases (hint: focus on why the people and court cases are important)
Dusky v. United States
Concepts
Are psychosis and schizophrenia the same thing? Can psychosis be a symptom of other disorders?
What is the typical age of onset for schizophrenia?
What is the most common kind of hallucination?
Is psychosis the same thing as dissociative identity disorder and psychopathic personality disorder?
How accurate are public perceptions of the insanity defense? In reality, the insanity defense is used
_____________. In reality, is the insanity defense usually successful? In reality, do people with a successful
insanity defense tend to spend more or less time in confinement?
jurors tend to use what to inform and interpret their judgments of a defendant’s responsibility and intentions?