The prediction of dangerousness and the insanity defense are two areas where psychologists provide research-based expertise to the courts. Teachers of psychology can use these topics to capture the attention of students and to show how psychological research and theory can inform and influence the legal system. Specifically, teachers can use the…

Behavioral momentum theory provides a quantitative account of how reinforcers experienced within a discriminative stimulus context govern the persistence of behavior that occurs in that context. The theory suggests that all reinforcers obtained in the presence of a discriminative stimulus increase resistance to change, regardless of whether those…

This study involved the assessment of three psychology interns' ability to predict re-incarceration based on the use of clinical judgement. Three psychology interns in an APA-accredited internship were given training on how to use clinical judgement in predicting future incarceration on the part of youth incarcerated in a juvenile correctional…