Introduction to Forensic Psychology
36 hours
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn, Online
Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
Overview
The overarching aim of this unit is to provide students with an introduction to the theories, models, and research related to the field of forensic psychology. Students will gain skills, knowledge and the ability to analyse human behaviour as it occurs within the forensic context. Specifically, this unit aims to introduce students to fundamental principles involved in research and practice within Forensic Psychology. Students are introduced to the structure of the criminal justice system in Australia and in other countries.
Requisites
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 2
Location
Online
Start and end dates
07-July-2025
05-October-2025
05-October-2025
Last self-enrolment date
20-July-2025
Census date
01-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
22-August-2025
Results released date
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Describe the structure of the criminal justice system in Australia and internationally
- Understand the principles of interviewing suspects and witnesses used by the police, by psychologists and in the courtroom and other forms of eyewitness testimony
- Outline the strategies used in deception and detecting lies
- Describe the process of risk assessment for violence and re-offending
- Explain how crime is defined and measured and describe the different perspectives in criminology
- Understand the developmental risk factors related to criminal behaviour
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Specified Activities Various | 4.00 | 12 weeks | 48 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 5.50 | 12 weeks | 66 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 11.50 | 12 weeks | 138 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Individual | 40% | 3,4 |
| Examination | Individual | 40% | 4,5,6 |
| Mid-Semester Test | Individual | 20% | 1,2,6 |
Content
- A comparative analysis of the Australian criminal justice system
- Theoretical perspectives in criminology (psychological, sociological, psychiatric)
- Defining and measuring crime (the uniform crime reporting system)
- Interviewing and detection of deception techniques
- Research methods in forensic psychology
- Risk assessment
- Eyewitness testimony and false memories
- Developmental risk factors for criminal behaviour, social risk factors, parental and family risk factors, and psychological risk factors
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.