Improving Clinical Judgment and Decision Making in Forensic Evalution

Borum, Randy; Otto, Randy K.; Golding, Stephen L.

doi:10.1177/009318539302100104

Cited by 107 publications

(100 citation statements)

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“…Experts should also educate legal professionals regarding the perils of simplistic designs. When researchers look for only one result and disregard alternative explanations, their ''positive'' findings are vulnerable to confirmation bias (Borum, Otto, & Golding, 1993).…”

Section: Implications For Professional Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Facets of psychopathy, Axis II traits, and behavioral dysregulation among jail detainees

Rogers

Jordan²,

Harrison³

2007

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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Forensic evaluations of offender populations often consider psychopathy as an integral component of these consultations. Vexing issues remain of whether psychopathic traits should be evaluated consistently irrespective of demographic characteristics (e.g. gender), comorbidity (e.g. other Axis II pathology), or setting (e.g. jail or community). The current study examined gender differences for psychopathy and Axis II traits in a nonreferred jail sample of predominantly nonviolent offenders. Participants with moderate to high levels of psychopathy evidenced substantial comorbidity, especially with Cluster B personality disorders. Facets of psychopathy and Axis II traits varied substantially across both genders. In addition, the research evaluated Lynam's Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, and Attention difficulties (HIA) model of psychopathy. These initial data found little support for the HIA model in this jail sample. In testing competing hypotheses, the HIA model was substantially better at predicting Cluster B traits than psychopathy per se.

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Section: Implications For Professional Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Facets of psychopathy, Axis II traits, and behavioral dysregulation among jail detainees

Rogers

Jordan²,

Harrison³

2007

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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“…As best practice recommendations for formal risk assessments have emerged in the professional literature, practitioners are often advised to identify and utilize relevant base rates and to focus on empirically established risk factors, often with the guidance of a structured assessment instrument, in appraising the level of risk (Borum, 2000;Borum, Otto, & Golding, 1993;Otto, 2000;Monahan, 1981;McNiel et al, in press). However, these recommendations do not apply equally to Tarasoff-type assessments.…”

Section: Nature Of Decision and Risk Inquirymentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing violence risk in Tarasoff situations: a fact‐based model of inquiry*

Borum

Reddy²

2001

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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Although significant advances in risk assessment research and practice have been made in recent years, there has not been any analysis in the professional literature regarding how and whether the emerging practice recommendations apply in Tarasoff-type situations. We suggest that, when faced with a Tarasoff-type situation, the appraisal of risk should be guided by a method that is primarily fact-based and deductive, rather than by the more inductive risk assessment approach for general violence recidivism, which is guided primarily by base rates and historical risk factors. We review the principles underlying a fact-based, or threat assessment, approach and outline six areas of inquiry that can guide the appraisal of risk: A-attitudes that support or facilitate violence, C-capacity, T-thresholds crossed, I-intent, O-other's reactions, and N-noncompliance with risk reduction interventions.

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“…A few suggestions do exist for how forensic clinicians might consider the impact of bias, such as actively generating alternative conclusions, identifying and using relevant base rates, minimizing the role of memory, and identifying and weighing the most valid sources of data (Arkes, 1981;Arkes, Faust, Guilmette, & Hart, 1988;Borum, Otto, & Golding, 1993).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forensic psychologists’ perceptions of bias and potential correction strategies in forensic mental health evaluations.

Neal¹,

Brodsky²

2016

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law

109

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A qualitative study with 20 board-certified forensic psychologists was followed up by a mail survey of 351 forensic psychologists in this mixed-methods investigation of examiner bias awareness and strategies used to debias forensic judgments. Rich qualitative data emerged about awareness of bias, specific biasing situations that recur in forensic evaluations, and potential debiasing strategies. The continuum of bias awareness in forensic evaluators mapped cogently onto the "stages of change" model. Evaluators perceived themselves as less vulnerable to bias than their colleagues, consistent with the phenomenon called the "bias blind spot." Recurring situations that posed challenges for forensic clinicians included disliking or feeling sympathy for the defendant, disgust or anger toward the offense, limited cultural competency, preexisting values, colleagues' influences, and protecting referral streams. Twenty-five debiasing strategies emerged in the qualitative study, all but one of which rated as highly useful in the quantitative survey. Some of those strategies are consistent with empirical evidence about their effectiveness, but others have been shown to be ineffective. We identified which strategies do not help, focused on promising strategies with empirical support, discussed additional promising strategies not mentioned by participants, and described new strategies generated by these participants that have not yet been subjected to empirical examination.Finally, debiasing strategies were considered with respect to future directions for research and forensic practice.

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Improving Clinical Judgment and Decision Making in Forensic Evalution

Cited by 107 publications

References 0 publications

Facets of psychopathy, Axis II traits, and behavioral dysregulation among jail detainees

Facets of psychopathy, Axis II traits, and behavioral dysregulation among jail detainees

Assessing violence risk in Tarasoff situations: a fact‐based model of inquiry*

Forensic psychologists’ perceptions of bias and potential correction strategies in forensic mental health evaluations.

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