Legal & Ethical Considerations Flashcards

The APA's Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology state that forensic practitioners should strive for what primary quality in their work?

Answer: Impartiality and objectivity

The Specialty Guidelines emphasize that forensic practitioners' primary obligation is to provide impartial, objective analysis rather than advocacy.

When a profiler is hired by a law enforcement agency, who is considered the primary 'client' for ethical purposes?

Answer: The hiring agency and, by extension, the public

In law enforcement contexts, the hiring agency is the immediate client, but the profiler's broader obligation extends to public safety and justice.

A profiler testifying as an expert witness should limit their opinion to:

Answer: Matters within their expertise supported by the evidence

Expert witnesses must confine their testimony to areas within their expertise and base their opinions on evidence and established methodology.

Which legal standard governs the admissibility of expert testimony in federal courts and states that have adopted it?

Answer: Daubert standard

The Daubert standard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1993) replaced the Frye standard in federal courts and many states, requiring judges to evaluate scientific validity.

An ethical violation occurs when a profiler uses their position to develop a personal romantic relationship with a client or examinee because this constitutes:

Answer: A conflict of interest and exploitation of a power differential

Sexual or romantic relationships with clients or examinees constitute exploitation of the power differential and are categorically prohibited by professional ethics codes.

When a profiler's findings are later shown to have contributed to a wrongful conviction, the most relevant professional concern is:

Answer: Whether the profiler followed methodologically sound and ethical practices

Ethical accountability focuses on whether the profiler adhered to established methods and ethical guidelines, regardless of the ultimate legal outcome.

The concept of 'dual relationships' in forensic profiling refers to situations where a profiler:

Answer: Has both a professional and personal relationship with a case party

Dual relationships occur when a profiler has a professional role and another relationship with the same person, creating conflicts that compromise objectivity.