Department of Counselling Psychology Course outline
Programme Master of Social Sciences in Psychology
Course Title Introduction to Investigative Psychology
Course Code PSY566
Number of Credits 3
Duration of Weeks 15
Contact Hours Per Week 2.5 hours lecture
Pre-requisite Course(s) N/A
Course Aims
Investigative psychology aims to enhance understanding of criminal behavior and the investigative process. It emerged in response to early experiential approaches to offender profiling and a desire to formulate an empirical, evidence-based method of criminal investigation. This course aims to familiarize students with the key classical and contemporary studies and findings in investigative psychology and develop critical thinking of the validity of various investigative methods (e.g., offender profiling). Several important issues in investigative psychology, including suspect interview, police interrogation, lie detection, false confession, offender profiling, will be covered.
Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOS)

Upon completion of this course students should be able to:

 

  1. Appraise the fundamental application of psychology, as a science in the investigation of criminal behaviours

  2. Identify and describe the key techniques in offender profiling, deception detection and crisis negotiation

  3. Evaluate the validity and pitfalls of existing investigative techniques

  4. Evaluate the psychological evidence regarding issues such as eyewitness testimony and false confession
Assessment

 
Assessment Tasks
Weighting
1.
Presentation
20 %
2.
False Confession Analytic Paper
25 %
3.
Participation
10 %
4.
Online discussion forum
10 %
5. Closed-book Final Tests 35%
 
 
100%
For Reference Only
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