PSY 474

Forensic Psychology
Fall 2015
Mondays & Wednesdays 5:15-6:35 pm
HB Crouse Kitteridge
Instructor:

Thomas F. Umina, Ph.D.

E-mail address: tfumina@syr.edu
Office Hours: Available before class and other times upon request.

Required Text: Pozzulo, J., Bennell, C., Forth, A. (2012). Forensic Psychology,
Pearson College Div.
NOTE: Additional readings maybe required and these will be posted on Blackboard at
least 24 hours before class.
Course Objectives: This course is designed to cover the major areas of forensic
psychology. The course begins with general consideration of the study of forensic
psychology, including some of the major milestones in the history of the field. Topics
covered during the semester include Police Psychology and the Psychology of Police
Investigations, Deception, Eyewitness Testimony, Mental Health inside the New York
State Correctional System, Risk Assessment, Forensic Assessment, and Psychopathy
among other topics.
Course Structure: The format of the course will be mostly lecture, although discussion
is encouraged. You are expected to complete assigned readings (both in the textbooks and
corresponding PowerPoint presentation) and to be prepared to discuss them in class.
Videos that reinforce important points may also be part of the course structure. The
content of the videos may not be duplicate information to that of the text, therefore
making class attendance imperative.
Grading: Your final grade in the course will be composed of six exams. Each exam will
be 50 multiple-choice questions totaling 300 points. Therefore the maximum number of
points earned in this course will be 300. NO Extra Credit is given in this class.
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance and participation during class are expected of every student. It is an
empirical fact that students who miss class as compared to those who attend class
regularly tend to perform worse on exams. Attendance and participation are especially in
critical in this course because this is the only way to determine which aspects of the
textbooks and/or readings the instructor feels are most essential and therefore more likely

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to be covered on the exams. Please do NOT be late for class; it is disruptive for your
classmates as well as for your instructor. As mentioned previously, the content of videos
shown during class may not be duplicate information to that of the text, therefore this
information would be missed if not in attendance.
Exams: A total of six exams will be administered during this course.
Each exam will be worth 50 points, and will be comprised entirely of multiple-choice
questions. The exams will make your final grade. NO Extra Credit is given in this
class.
Absences from exam days must be documented in accordance with official university
policies. If you fail to provide a documented reason for missing an exam, you will receive
a score of 0 for that exam. At my discretion, I may allow make-ups for exams in the event
of documented personal emergencies or documented significant medical
illnesses/injuries. Make-ups, if permitted, may differ from the original exam in terms of
the number of questions asked and/or question format. It is your responsibility to contact
me (within three weekdays from the day you were absent) if you missed an exam.
The last/final exam will not be a cumulative final. Students are expected to be on time
for exams. No student will be permitted to start an exam after the first person has
finished his or her exam. Exam grades will be posted on Blackboard in approximately
one week following the exam dates.
Grading: Final grades will be based on the following distribution:
% of Total Points
93% and above
90% to 92.9%
87% to 89.9%
83% to 86.9%
80% to 82.9%
77% to 79.9%
73% to 76.9%
68% to 72.9%
64.5% to 67.9%
below 62%

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Final Course
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F

These letter grades reflect the following criteria:

A = Performance reflects superior understanding of course material; performance exceeds
that of the class average by a substantial margin and indicates that the student is very
well suited for further study in the field.
B = Performances reflects a solid understanding of course material; performance exceeds
that of the class average by a modest degree and indicates that the student is most

PSY 474 - Forensic Psychology Dr. Umina Page 3

likely well-suited for further study in the field.

C=Performancereflectstheclassaverageandindicatesthatthestudentsisminimally
preparedforfurtherstudyinthefield.
D=Performancereflectsminimalunderstandingandindicatesalackofreadinessfor
furtherstudyinthefield.
F = Work is clearly inadequate and unsatisfactory.
NOTE: It is the students responsibility to be aware of his/her standing in this class.
Furthermore, if a student has to miss a class, it is up to that student to find out what
material was covered and what announcements were made.
NOTE: There is no extra credit in this class.
NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to alter the syllabus at any time during the semester.
Communicating with the Instructor: The best way to communicate with me is via
email (tfumina@syr.edu). Please include PSY 474 in the subject line of all email to
me so I do not mistake your note for SPAM. I am also available before and after class
to answer questions. Please do NOT use the Blackboard email system as I do not check it
regularly.
Class Notes: Notes will be posted on Blackboard at least 12 hours before class. It is your
responsibility to print them or to save them electronically ahead of time if you so desire.
I will not be providing hard copies of the class notes. Please let me know if you have
technical problems with the web page.
Please note that the posted lecture notes are merely rough outlines and should not be used
as a substitute for class attendance, attentive note taking, and reading the assigned pages
in the text. Moreover, the slides presented in class through elaboration will contain more
information than the notes alone.
Religious Observations: SUs religious observances policy, found at
http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the diversity of
faiths represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students,
faculty, and staff to observe religious holy days according to their tradition. Under the
policy, students are provided an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work
requirements that may be missed due to a religious observance provided they notify their
instructors before the end of the second week of classes. For fall and spring semesters, an
online notification process is available through MySlice/Student Services/Enrollment/My
Religious Observances from the first day of class until the end of the second week of
classes.

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Academic Dishonesty: Any student who cheats on an examination or extra credit will
receive a zero score for the exam or assignment. Cheating behaviors include using the
same answers as a current or past student from this class, Internet, or other source without
proper citation, and bringing prohibited devices (e.g., electronic dictionaries) into an
exam. In addition to the zero score for the assignment, a report regarding the academic
dishonesty will be filed with the appropriate Syracuse University officials. See Academic
Integrity Expectations (section 1.0.1) for University language on this matter.
The Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy holds students accountable for the
integrity of the work they submit. Students should be familiar with the Policy and know
that it is their responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations
with regard to proper citation of sources in written work. The policy also governs the
integrity of work submitted in exams and assignments as well as the veracity of
signatures on attendance sheets and other verifications of participation in class activities.
Serious sanctions can result from academic dishonesty. For more information and the
complete policy, see http://academicintegrity.syr.edu
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs: Students who are in need of
disability-related academic accommodations must register with the Office of Disability
Services (ODS), 304 University Avenue, Room 309, 315-443-4498. Students with
authorized disability-related accommodations should provide a current Accommodation
Authorization Letter from ODS to the instructor and review those accommodations with
the instructor. Accommodations, such as exam administration, are not provided
retroactively; therefore, planning for accommodations as early as possible is necessary.

Course Schedule
Date

Topic

Chapter

Monday 8/31/15

Overview and Introduction

Wednesday 9/2/15

Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Monday 9/7/15

NO CLASS - Labor Day

Wednesday 9/9/15

Police Psychology

Chapter 2

Monday 9/14/15
Wednesday
9/16/15

Police Psychology / Police Investigations

Chapter 3

Psychology of Police Investigations

Chapter 3

Monday 9/21/15
Wednesday
9/23/15

EXAM #1
Eyewitness Testimony

Chapter 5

Monday 9/28/15
Wednesday
9/30/15

Child Victims and Witnesses

Chapter 6

Juries: Fact Finder

Chapter 7

Monday 10/5/15

EXAM #2

Chapter 7

Chapter 1

PSY 474 - Forensic Psychology Dr. Umina Page 5

Wednesday
10/7/15

The Role of Mental Illness in Court

Chapter 8

Monday 10/12/15
Wednesday
10/14/15

N.Y.S. Correctional Mental Health System

Powerpoint

N.Y.S. Correctional MH System (Cont'd).

Powerpoint

Monday 10/19/15
Wednesday
10/21/15

EXAM #3

Monday 10/26/15
Wednesday
10/28/15

Correctional M.H. Primer/Psychopathy

Powerpoint/Chapter 11

Psychopathy & PDs (Cont'd).

Chapter 11

Monday 11/2/15

Sexual and Homicidal Offenders

Chapter 14

Wednesday 11/4/15

EXAM #4

Monday 11/9/15
Wednesday
11/11/15

Sentencing/Practice and Public Opinion

Chapter 9

Juvenile Delinquency

Chapter 12

Monday 11/16/15
Wednesday
11/18/15

Intimate Partner Violence

Chapter 13

EXAM # 5

Chapter 13

Monday 11/23/15
Wednesday
11/25/15

NO CLASS - Thanksgiving Break

Monday 11/30/15
Wednesday
12/2/15

Deception and Clinical Assessment

Deception/C.A. (Con'td) & Risk
Assessment

Chapter 4

Monday 12/7/15

Risk Assessment (Con'td)

Chapter 10

Wednesday 12/9/15

EXAM #6

NO CLASS

NO CLASS - Thanksgiving Break

Chapter 4 & C 10