Legal, Forensic and Criminological Psychology

The Application of Neuroscience Research to Forensic Psychology The course will provide knowledge in light of advances in the neuroscience field. It will introduce students to the potential application of neuroscience research to forensic psychology. The main themes of the course will include the behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging indicators related to brain activity which are looked at in relation to the neuroscientific challenge to agency and the determination of responsibility for human action. Knowledge and understanding Students will acquire basic knowledge in the field of neuroscience, with particular attention paid to the neural substrates of mental processes and the use of neuroscientific techniques relevant in legal and forensic contexts. Applying knowledge and understanding Students will develop their skills sufficiently enough to be able to critically evaluate and support arguments on the potential application of neuroscience methods and techniques to the legal field. Students will use their knowledge to effectively comprehend the scientific material proposed in the international literature. Making judgments The course will allow students to acquire critical judgment skills on data from neuroscientific information that plays an important role in legal and forensic psychology, including reflections on the related social and ethical implications. At the end of the course, students will be expected to be able to identify any limits connected to the use of specific neuroscientific data and techniques. Communication skills The neural correlates of behavior will be presented in such a way as to enable students to gain scientific language and specialized vocabulary. Through the course, students will acquire advanced communication skills enabling them to understand neuroscientific information and to carry on discussions with specialist and nonspecialist interlocutors. Learning skills Students will acquire the skills and competencies necessary to achieve a sufficient degree of autonomy when dealing with scientific information and recognizing the limits of current neuroscience on the study of human behavior. Students will be encouraged to consider and remain up-to-date on neuroscientific publications in legal and forensic contexts.