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Introduction to Legal Psychology

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:9.00
Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:26:11
Study Course Information
Course Code:SUPK_128LQF level:Level 6
Credit Points:2.00ECTS:3.00
Branch of Science:Psychology; Social PsychologyTarget Audience:Psychology
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:Ilze Ušacka
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfatrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)8Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures16
Classes (count)4Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes8
Total Contact Hours24
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)5Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures10
Classes (count)3Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes6
Total Contact Hours16
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
General Psychology, Social Psychology, Personality Psychology.
Objective:
To provide students with an opportunity to acquire the possibilities of application and integration of legal psychology in the field of psychological activity, which will promote the application of their theoretical and practical knowledge when starting the professional activity as a psychologist.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Legal psychology: concept and methods.Lectures2.00auditorium
2 Development of legal psychology. Sub-directions of legal psychology and their connection with other fields.Lectures2.00auditorium
3Socio-psychological portrait of a criminal. A criminal and their mental health.Lectures2.00auditorium
4Specifics of work in working with dangerous criminals. Working with a sex offender. Working with a person serving a life sentence. Working with a juvenile offender. Working with a female offender.Classes2.00auditorium
5Classification of crimes. Psychological aspects of crime. Crime and addictions. Psychological aspects of investigative and judicial activities. Forensic psychological assessment. Use of a polygraph. Lies and the psychology of lies.Lectures1.00auditorium
6Probation and its functions, psychological peculiarities.Lectures1.00auditorium
7Professional activity of a psychologist in the context of legal psychology. The specifics of the work of a psychologist working in a prison. Psychologist in criminal proceedings.Classes2.00auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Legal psychology: concept and methods.Lectures1.00auditorium
2 Development of legal psychology. Sub-directions of legal psychology and their connection with other fields.Lectures1.00auditorium
3Socio-psychological portrait of a criminal. A criminal and their mental health.Lectures2.00auditorium
4Specifics of work in working with dangerous criminals. Working with a sex offender. Working with a person serving a life sentence. Working with a juvenile offender. Working with a female offender.Classes1.00auditorium
5Classification of crimes. Psychological aspects of crime. Crime and addictions. Psychological aspects of investigative and judicial activities. Forensic psychological assessment. Use of a polygraph. Lies and the psychology of lies.Lectures0.50auditorium
6Probation and its functions, psychological peculiarities.Lectures0.50auditorium
7Professional activity of a psychologist in the context of legal psychology. The specifics of the work of a psychologist working in a prison. Psychologist in criminal proceedings.Classes2.00auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Independent preparation for seminars and exams, preparation of a report and presentation about it. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
Assessment Criteria:
Active participation in lectures; independent reading of the indicated literature and active participation in discussions during seminars – 20%; written independent work (2) with situation analysis – 30%, group work (presentation) – 20%, written exam – 30%.
Final Examination (Full-Time):Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):Exam
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:Knows the general concepts of legal psychology and their connection with other fields; knows legal psychology, analyses its basic problems and facts; orientates in and knows the basic theories and processes of legal psychology.
Skills:Demonstrates the acquired theoretical and practical knowledge; is able, in accordance with professional ethics, to present the obtained information in the context of legal psychology – compares, critically evaluates and analyses it.
Competencies:Demonstrates the ability to understand, compare, critically evaluate and analyse information in the context of legal psychology, including performing practical tasks individually and in groups.
Bibliography
No.Reference
Required Reading
1Poudžiunas, I. (2006). Pārciestas vardarbības pieredzes apzināšanās Jauniešiem. LU Raksti, Psiholoģija, 698.
2Rudzītis, K., Landmane, D., Krūmiņa, I. un Strika, E. (2012). Bērns kriminālprocesā. Kriminālprocesam noderīgas informācijas iegūšana. Iespējas un izaicinājumi. Rīga.
3Sebre, S. un Ļebedeva, L. (2006). Piesaistes stils, dusmas un vardarbības starppaaudžu pārmantojamības pārtraukšana. LU Raksti, Psiholoģija, 698, 34-53.
4Strika, E. (2008). Tiesu psihiatriskajā vai kompleksajā tiesu psiholoģiskajā un tiesu psihiatriskajā ekspertīzē nonākušo likumpārkāpēju personības iezīmju atšķirības (mērītas ar MMPI-2). Latvijas Universitātes raksti, Psiholoģija, 729, 70-89.
5Bull, Ray. (2004). Legal psychology in the twenty-first century. Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health. Sep2004, Vol. 14 Issue 3, p167-181. 15p. DOI: 10.1002/cbm.584., Database: Sociology Source Ultimate
6Brown, Jennifer (2015). Forensic Psychology : theory, research, policy and practice / Jennifer Brown, Yvonne Shell and Terri Cole. Los Angeles : SAGE Publications. Online resource (xxii, 386 p.).
7Fiscal, Zeryl Joy M. Ashland (2019). Forensic Psychology : Society Publishing. 2019. eBook., Database: eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost)
Additional Reading
1Guļāns, O. (1998). Vardarbības problēma un personības garīgais līdzsvars.
2Majore, I., Žagare, I., Sebre, S., Spruģevica, I., & Dimanta, R. (2000). Kā palīdzēt vardarbībā cietušam bērnam : rokasgrām. skolotājiem / [aut. kol.: Rūta Dimanta ... [u.c.]. Rīga : Valsts Bērnu tiesību aizsardzības centrs, 2000. R: Balodis.
3Semenkova, V. (2006). Drošības psiholoģija. Uzņēmumu drošība. R: BA Turība.
4Smilgainis, V. (1995). Liecinieka liecību psiholoģija. R: LU.
5Smilgainis V. un Veitnere, I. (1997).Tiesu psiholoģiskā ekspertīze. Rīga: LU.
6Veitnere, I. (1997). Bērnu seksuālā izmantošana. R: LPA.
7Vilks, A. (2004). Kriminoloģija. Rīga: Nordic
8Strika, E. (2002). Psiholoģija tiesu sistēmā Latvijā. Baltic journal of psychology, 3, 2, 58-71. 2.
9Strika, E. (2002). Psiholoģiskie traucējumi un to saistība ar likumpārkāpuma izdarīšanu. Kastiņš J. (red.) LU PPF Izglītības zinātnes un pedagoģija mūsdienu pasaulē, 655, 531-540
10Strika, E. (2002). Likumpārkāpēju personības īpatnības. Kastiņš J. (red.), LU PPF Izglītības zinātnes un pedagoģija mūsdienu pasaulē, 649, 511-523. Rīga.
Other Information Sources
1American psychological association (2012). Journal Cover for Law and Human Behavior.
2Zīle, J. Viktimoloģija pētījuma virzieni, attīstības vēsture. Juristu žurnāls, 10, 4-7.