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Presentation
Presentation
Testimony psychology is a prominent area of forensic psychology dedicated to the study of witnesses and the judicial value of their testimonies, considering the cognitive processes inherent in witnessing and all the contextual and individual variables that may interfere with this act. The development of interview techniques and effective evaluation processes are clear objectives of this area of knowledge. The interconnection between the various professionals in the service of justice is also explored, particularly the psychologist's role in this context. Research in this area aims to contribute to a more informed and evidence-based practice.
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Class from course
Class from course
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Degree | Semesters | ECTS
Degree | Semesters | ECTS
Master Degree | Semestral | 5
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Year | Nature | Language
Year | Nature | Language
1 | Mandatory | Português
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Code
Code
ULHT2203-6482
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Prerequisites and corequisites
Prerequisites and corequisites
Not applicable
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Professional Internship
Professional Internship
Não
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Syllabus
Syllabus
1. Introduction to the Psychology of Testimony 1.1. History, definitions, and key concepts 1.2. Legal framework of expert evidence 2. Psychological Processes, Variables, and Testimony Reliability 2.1. The impact of basic processes (attention, perception, encoding, and retention) 2.2. System variables (controllable by the judicial system) vs. Estimator variables (inherent to the event/witness) 2.3. The role of emotion, stress, and trauma in memory encoding and retrieval 2.4. Suggestibility and sources of narrative distortion 2.5. Memory errors, myths, and the phenomenon of false memories 2.6. Testimony across the lifespan (children, adults, and the elderly) 3. Assessment of Capacity to Testify 4. Information Gathering in Judicial Proceedings 4.1. Offender identification procedures (lineups/photographic identification) and associated biases 4.2. Interviewing techniques 4.3. Response styles: Malingering, validity, truth
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Objectives
Objectives
LO1: Prepare students to work in the field of Testimony Psychology; LO2: Identify and perceive the psychological mechanisms inherent to the act of witnessing; LO3: Distinguish methodologies for collecting, analyzing, and processing information; LO4: Recognize the main methods of identifying offenders by victims and witnesses; LO5: Determine the factors involved in the provision of the testimony and the collection of information to avoid contamination; LO6: Know tools and techniques for collecting and analyzing information; LO7: Distinguish truth, lie, false memories, simulation, and suggestibility; LO8: Promote the scientific spirit and the multidisciplinary integration of various units of knowledge. LO9: To be evaluated individually, in groups, through written and oral evaluation
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Teaching methodologies
Teaching methodologies
The teaching methodologies for this course include lectures with expository nature and interactive dialogue with students. Students can choose one of the following modalities: Continuous assessment: 2 written tests (35% each); Group work: oral presentation and individual defense (10% + 20%, respectively). Presentation on a theme within the course unit (themes will be presented at the beginning of the semester). Final written exam (100%) that includes all the contents covered. The final average for the approval is 10 values. The appeal exam (100%) will focus on all contents.
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References
References
Alho, L., & Paulino, M. (Eds.). (2021). Psicologia do Testemunho: Da prática à investigação científica . Pactor. Cooper, B. S., Griesel, D., & Ternes, M. (Eds.). (2013). Applied issues in investigative interviewing, eyewitness memory, and credibility assessment . Springer Science & Business Media. Matos, M., Gonçalves, R. A., & Machado, c. (2011). Manual de psicologia forense: Contextos, práticas e desafios. Psiquilibrios. Weiner, I. B., & Hess, A. K. (Eds.). (2013). The handbook of forensic psychology (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
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Assessment
Assessment
Descrição dos instrumentos de avaliação (individuais e de grupo) ¿ testes, trabalhos práticos, relatórios, projetos... respetivas datas de entrega/apresentação... e ponderação na nota final.
Exemplo:
Descrição
Data limite
Ponderação
Teste de avaliação 1
a definir
35%
Teste de avaliação 2 a definir
35%
Apresentação oral (em grupo)
ao longo do semestre
10%
Defesa Individual do trabalho ao longo do semestre 20% O trabalho de grupo será realizado a partir de um tema pré-selecionado pela docente no início do semestre e requer competênicas de análise, síntese, crítica e reflexão sobre o tema.
Pelos motivos enunciados, o uso de IA pode limitar o desenvolvimento de competências académicas, como a leitura crítica e síntese de informação. Além disso, a reflexão sobre um tema específico da UC (sem recurso a IA) permite que os/as estudantes aprofundem o seu conteúdo, através da identificação de conceitos-chave, análise de construtos, análise crítica de metodologias e formulação de conclusões.
Conclui-se que a utilização da IA ( permitida apenas para para exploração de conceitos, compreensão de conteúdos programáticos e resolução de dúvidas iniciais) pode aumentar o risco de plágio quando os estudantes são tentados a limitar o seu trabalho à cópia de informações diretas de fontes de IA sem o entendimento integral do seu conteúdo. Por essa razão, o uso indevido de instrumentos de IA pode conduzir à anulação da avaliação realizada
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Mobility
Mobility
No
