Cognitive Forensic Sciences

Activity type

Discipline psicologiche

SSD

M-PSI/01

Year

2nd year

Semester

1st semester

CFU

3

Hours distribution

36 laboratory hours

Lecturers

DAVID CONVERSI

Activity type

Discipline psicologiche

SSD

M-PSI/01

Year

2nd year

Semester

1st semester

CFU

6

Hours distribution

48 classroom hours

Lecturers

VINCENZO CESTARI

The course will provide the student with an updated body of knowledge on the complex relationships between genotype and environment in the development of behavioral phenotypes of particular relevance in the context of forensic sciences. This key understanding will be applied to the study of cognitive processes and emotions and their implications in the context of forensic sciences.
An emphasis will be placed on the relationship between stress, emotions, and memory as well as on mechanisms associated with the formation of emotional memories, which have an important adaptive value under physiological conditions. Nevertheless, memories of aversive events, such as traumatic events, can have a maladaptive profile that may alter physiological levels of aggression, resulting in significant clinical and behavioral repercussions. In view of the important social reflections, the course will explore in-depth the study from an evolutionary perspective of the mechanisms underlying aggression and the behavioral consequences of its alteration
Knowledge and understanding.
At the end of the course, the student will demonstrate a broad knowledge of the complex interactions between environmental events and the individual characteristics underlying genetic heritage in adapting to aversive situations that possess the potential for pathogenic and maladaptive alteration of social behavior. Particular attention will be paid to the implications of these interactions in the context of behaviors that assume relevance in forensic science.
Applying knowledge and understanding.
By the end of the course, students will have acquired skills that will enable them to address, both in research contexts and in the workplace, issues characterized by interdisciplinary elements ranging from genetics to the development of pathologies that result from adverse events, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which can affect levels of aggression and social behavior. The professional and research areas to which the knowledge gained during the course may be transferred will relate particularly, but not exclusively, to the forensic science context.
Making judgements.
The structure of the course and its contents are designed in order to promote independent judgment. The course provides a complex of interdisciplinary knowledge that the student will progressively view from an integrating perspective. For example, the topic of the interaction between psychology, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, and genetics in forensic activities exemplifies the ethical reflection that current scientific knowledge entails and that the student will address in the course. Writing papers and preparing presentations on specific topics will also contribute to this end.
Communication skills.
Contributing decisively to the development of communication skills will be activities in the course involving the oral presentation of work done, either independently or in collaboration, on specific topics by delving into the literature of the field of study.
Learning skills.
The student will be led to develop skills in autonomous knowledge acquisition on topics of interest by learning the most effective ways to master the scientific literature in the field, such as through the use of "online libraries" such as PubMed and acquiring the ability to deal effectively and independently with reading up-to-date scientific material.

1.1 General learning objective
• The course will supply students with a set of up-to-date knowledge on the involvement of cognitive
processes and emotion in behavior related to the field of forensic science. A focus will be placed on
the role of the genetic background in behaviours relevant in forensic science and on the role of specific
genes in the cognitive and behavioural outcomes of stressful aversive experiences. A current vision
of the mechanisms of memory formation and modulation of aversive and traumatic experiences will
also be provided.
1.2 Specific targets
1.2.1 knowledge and understanding
• By the end of the course students will have acquired a wide knowledge on classical and current
theories and models of stress, of long-term memory formation of aversive and traumatic experiences,
of the possible ways to modulate the consolidation and reconsolidation phases of aversive memories,
of the role of gene-environment interaction in behavioural outcomes relevant to the forensic field.
1.2.2 Applying knowledge and understanding
• By the end of the course students will be able to evaluate thoroughly the current scientific literature
concerning the course subjects and to better understand the current research approaches that link
genetic background and behaviour.
1.2.3 making judgements
• Once attained a fine comprehension of the theorical basis of the course topics students will reach a
good level of autonomy about the ways to judge and apply the knowledge acquired in the forensic
science field.
1.2.4 Communication skills
• The development of communication skills will be attained involving students in activities in which
they will present their work on specific subjects both in a written and oral form.
1.2.5 learning skills
• A focus will be placed on the development of the capacity to autonomously acquire the most relevant
current literature concerning the various arguments related to the course content. The capacity to
efficaciously utilize online library such as PubMed and reliable institutional website will be improved
together with the capacity to examine analytically the scientific literature and the information acquired.

No prerequisites

Module: Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior
1.1 General learning objective
The laboratory will provide students with practical activities focusing on the role of genetic and environmental interactions in shaping behavioral phenotypes relevant to forensic science, such as cognitive-emotional disorders, traumatic memories, and reactive and proactive aggression. During these activities, students will acquire the essential tools to conduct bibliographic searches, interpret scientific literature, write scientific reports, and communicate their results publicly.
1.2 Specific targets
1.2.1 Knowledge and understanding
By the end of the laboratory, students will have acquired a broad knowledge of the literature, metatheoretical models, and specific theories used to explain cognitive-emotional disturbances, traumatic memories, and aggressive behavior relevant to forensic science.
1.2.2 Applying Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the laboratory, students will be able to critically evaluate the current scientific literature on the course topics and better understand the research methodologies used in forensic contexts.
1.2.3 Making judgements
After achieving sufficient competence in understanding course topics and producing scientific reports, students will be able to develop a fair level of autonomy in applying the knowledge acquired in forensic sciences.
1.2.4 Communication skills
The development of communication skills will be achieved by involving students at two levels: i) oral presentation activities in which they will present their work on specific topics of the course, ii) production of written scientific reports and essays. The aim is to improve communication and students' confidence in the course topics.
1.2.5 Learning skills
A focus will be placed on developing the ability to acquire and reflect independently on the literature presented during the course. The ability to analytically examine and connect the scientific literature and the information acquired will be improved. The objective will be to develop and enhance students' critical scientific reasoning and to encourage a correct understanding of the course topics.

Course Structure
The laboratory module will be held according to the following modality.
At the beginning of each lesson, a topic will be introduced through a short theoretical lecture of 30-60 minutes. In the remaining time, the students will be required to carry out integrated activities: bibliographic research on the introduced topic, reading and synthesis of selected articles, and the production of short essays. For each activity the students perform, the professor will give appropriate feedback.
Independent Work
The request is to conduct bibliographic research independently and to prepare written and oral assignments to support students in developing critical and independent thinking.

Course Assessment
Students will be evaluated based on multiple-choice tests on three review papers indicated by the professor. Completing the assigned activities within the required timeframe will earn 1 point for each activity, which can be added to the final lab exam mark. Marks are on a 30/30 basis. To pass the 3 CFU exam, the student must score at least 18/30.




Module: Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior - Lab

Definition of the concepts of genotype and phenotype.

Relationship between an individual's genetic background, environment, and behavioral phenotype.

Study of the relationship between cognitive processes and genotype.

Emotions: adaptive roles and modulation in the context of aversive events.

Psychological trauma and other types of traumatic events

Cognitive and behavioral effects of trauma

The role of genotype and environment in the cognitive and behavioral response to trauma; role in aggressive behaviors

Stress and aversive events. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The study of the relationship between memory and emotions (emotional memory): a contribution to the knowledge of the mechanisms of long-term memory formation and possible clinical implications.

Modulation of cognitive and behavioral effects of aversive events: possible interventions

Course activities will also include knowledge of research activities aimed at the study of specific memory processes, with particular emphasis on the memory of events with emotional content. In addition, in-depth literature review activities on specific course topics are planned, with the possibility for students to develop papers illustrating possible application and implications of the program topics.

Module: Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior
Reading List
Students must study the following articles.
Halldorsdottir, T., & Binder, E. B. (2017). Gene × Environment Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Behavior. Annual review of psychology, 68, 215–241. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044053
Cohen D. (2010). Probabilistic epigenesis: an alternative causal model for conduct disorders in children and adolescents. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 34(1), 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.07.011
Blair, R. J., Habel, U., Votinov, M., Wagels, L., & Denson, T. F. (2025). A Cognitive Neuroscience Approach to Understanding Aggression and its Treatment. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 106386. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106386



Module: Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior - Lab
Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin, 2015 (Edizione inglese), Reading from Part 1 to Part 4 suggested
or
Bessel van der Kolk, Il Corpo accusa il colpo. Raffaello Cortina Editore, 2015 (Edizione italiana), Consigliata lettura da Parte 1 a Parte 4 comprese

Module: Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior
N/D
Module: Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior - Lab
It is emphasized that during the course, in addition to the bibliography below, students will be given a list of scientific articles identified from the most recent literature in the field essential for preparation and subsequent evaluation.



Caspi A, McClay J, Moffitt TE, Mill J, Martin J, Craig IW, Taylor A, Poulton R. Role of genotype in the cycle of violence in maltreated children. Science. 2002 Aug 2;297(5582):851-4.
Gonzalez-Tapia MI, Obsuth I, Heeds R. A new legal treatment for psychopaths? Perplexities for legal thinkers. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 54 (2017) 46–60
Kredlow MA, Otto MW. Interference with the reconsolidation of trauma-related memories in adults. Depress Anxiety. 2015 Jan;32(1):32-7.
Lazarus RS. From psychological stress to the emotions: a history of changing outlooks. Annu Rev Psychol. 1993; 44:1-21.
McSwiggan S, Elger B and Appelbaum PS. The Forensic Use of Behavioral Genetics in Criminal Proceedings: Case of the MAOA-L Genotype. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2017; 50: 17–23. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2016.09.005.
Metcalfe J, Brezler JC, McNamara J, Maletta G, Vuorre M. Memory, stress, and the hippocampal hypothesis: Firefighters' recollections of the fireground. Hippocampus. 2019 Dec;29(12):1141-1149. doi: 10.1002/hipo.23128. Epub 2019 Jun 29.
Schacter DL, Loftus EF. Memory and law: what can cognitive neuroscience contribute? Nat Neurosci. 2013 Feb;16(2):119-23.
Sean C. Godar, Paula J. Fite, Kenneth M. McFarlin, Marco Bortolato. The role of monoamine oxidase A in aggression: Current translational developments and future challenges. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 69 (2016) 90–100
Steinert T, Whittington R. A bio-psycho-social model of violence related to mental health problems. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2013 Mar-Apr;36(2):168-75.

In-person lectures with the Professor in charge present, with some students attending remotely as required by the university.

Highly recommended

Written test with open and closed questions

Written test with open and closed questions about the syllabus

Module: Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior

• Introduction to the laboratory: Brief theoretical lesson: behavior as a complex multifactorial phenotype; Introduction toPubMed; class assignment.


• Genes and behavior: The relationship between genes and behavior in humans and animals; introduction toPsycINFO; class assignment.


• Gene by environment interaction: Metatheoretical models of multifactoriality of behavior: gene by environment interaction; introduction to the use of Boolean logical operators in bibliographic searches; classassignment.


• Diathesis - Stress: Metatheoretical models of behavioral disordersDiathesys - Stress model; introduction to theuse of filters in bibliographic searches; class assignment.


• Differential susceptibility: Introduction to the model of differential susceptibility; subscription-based and open-accessarticles; class assignment.


• Probabilistic epigenesis: Beyond gene-by-environment interaction: Gottlieb's model applied to conduct disorder;Introduction to the use of filters in bibliographic searches; in-class assignment.


• Aggression in forensic science: Aggression as a forensically relevant behavioral phenotype; introduction to research articles;introduction to research and review articles; in-class assignment.


• Reactive and proactive aggression: Two types of aggressive behavior: reactive and proactive aggression; introduction to systematic review and meta-analysis; class assignment.


• Neural basis of aggression: Neural basis of aggressive behavior; guided analysis of scientific papers; class assignment.


• Psychopathology: Introduction to psychopathology; introduction to peer-review process: pros and cons; classassignment.


• Forensically relevant psychological disorders: introduction to the ICD-11 section of mental,behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders; class assignment.


• Research Domain Criteria (RDoC): Introduction to RDoC; Introduction to bibliometric indexes: pros and cons; conflict of interestin health sciences; class assignment.

• Description of the course structure and topics


• Role of the Genetic Background in cognitive processes and emotion


• Relationship between gene and behavior. The crucial vision of gene-environment interaction


• Aggression as a forensic relevant behavior


• MAOA gene and Aggression and Crimes


• Emozioni: aspetti storico-scientifici - Prima parte


• Emozioni: aspetti storico-scientifici - Seconda parte


• Stress: Cognitive and Biological Mechanisms.


• The current researches on stress


• Stress in highly aversive or traumatic events.


• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Events. PTSD and Forensic Science


• Memory systems: an overview on past and current knowledge and research


• The studies on Memory Reconsolidation process in the last two decades and their implications in health and forensic science


• Relationship between memory and emotion: the “emotional memory”.


• Relationship between PTSD and emotional memory. The “reconsolidation window” as an opportunity to modulate traumatic memories and mitigate their maladaptive cognitive and behavioral effects