ASPPB Forensic Psychology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Daubert standard, which factor is most critical for a court to admit expert psychological testimony?
- The expert's years of clinical experience
- Whether the theory has been tested and peer-reviewed (Correct answer)
- The expert's academic credentials
- Agreement among majority of practitioners
Correct answer: Whether the theory has been tested and peer-reviewed
Daubert requires that expert testimony be based on a testable, peer-reviewed methodology with a known error rate.
Question 2: A forensic psychologist conducting a custody evaluation discovers that one parent coached the child. The most appropriate action is to:
- Dismiss the evaluation and refer to another evaluator
- Document the coaching and account for it in the report (Correct answer)
- Exclude the child's statements entirely from consideration
- Report the parent to child protective services immediately
Correct answer: Document the coaching and account for it in the report
Coaching should be documented and its potential impact on the child's statements addressed within the evaluation report.
Question 3: Which instrument is most widely used and validated for assessing psychopathy in forensic settings?
- MMPI-3
- Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) (Correct answer)
- Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)
- Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)
Correct answer: Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)
The PCL-R is the gold standard for assessing psychopathy and has the most robust forensic research base.
Question 4: The legal standard 'guilty but mentally ill' (GBMI) differs from 'not guilty by reason of insanity' (NGRI) primarily because:
- GBMI defendants are acquitted while NGRI defendants are convicted
- GBMI defendants are convicted and receive treatment within the correctional system (Correct answer)
- GBMI applies only to misdemeanor offenses
- NGRI requires proof of intellectual disability
Correct answer: GBMI defendants are convicted and receive treatment within the correctional system
GBMI results in a criminal conviction; defendants are sentenced and should receive mental health treatment within the prison system.
Question 5: A defendant claims amnesia for the time of the alleged offense. Which statement best reflects forensic best practice?
- Amnesia automatically renders a defendant incompetent to stand trial
- Amnesia for the offense does not per se render a defendant incompetent (Correct answer)
- Claimed amnesia should be treated as definitive evidence of mental disorder
- The evaluation should focus exclusively on neurological testing
Correct answer: Amnesia for the offense does not per se render a defendant incompetent
Courts and forensic guidelines hold that amnesia for the offense does not necessarily impair a defendant's present ability to assist counsel.
Question 6: Which concept describes the tendency of violence risk assessment instruments to overpredict violence in minority populations?
- Base rate neglect
- Differential prediction / predictive bias (Correct answer)
- Construct invalidity
- Criterion contamination
Correct answer: Differential prediction / predictive bias
Differential prediction refers to systematic error in predictive accuracy across demographic groups, raising fairness concerns in risk tools.
Question 7: In which context is the SVR-20 (Sexual Violence Risk-20) most appropriately used?
- Assessing general recidivism risk in juvenile offenders
- Structured professional judgment for sexual violence risk in adults (Correct answer)
- Diagnosing paraphilic disorders under DSM-5
- Screening for malingering of sexual trauma
Correct answer: Structured professional judgment for sexual violence risk in adults
The SVR-20 is a structured professional judgment guide designed to evaluate risk factors associated with sexual violence in adult populations.
ASPPB Forensic Psychology 2
Under the Daubert standard, which factor is most critical for a court to admit expert psychological testimony?