5 credits
Interviewing individuals effectively who become involved in criminal justice, forensic mental health, and legal settings can be a challenging process. Regardless of the type of interview (i.e., clinical, forensic, or legal), when these issues are present, several problematic outcomes can result, such as misdiagnosis, ineffective treatment and discharge planning, providing inaccurate or false testimony, false confessions, wrongful convictions, misinterpretation of intent or abilities, prematurely waiving Miranda rights, probation/parole violations, etc. In this course, students develop a working knowledge of different definitions and key research findings associated with interviewing persons in these types of psycholegal settings. A variety of interviewing approaches, including helpful versus problematic approaches, will be closely examined. Students will also explore evidence-based best practices in interviewing special needs populations, which may include children, severe mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders, and cognitive impairments, to name a few. Other topics include neurobiopsychosocial factors to consider during the interviewing process, interviewer bias, acquiescence, compliance, suggestibility, confabulation, and emotional intelligence informed interviewing, among others.
Disclaimer:
The intent of this course is to provide you with a comprehensive overview of empirical-based literature regarding the concepts of the interview process, including an understanding of different types of interviewing in various psycholegal settings. Before you begin, a word of caution: This course contains content which may be disturbing and/or triggering. If you find yourself struggling with the content, you may want to reach out to Walden’s Student Assistance Program, which offers students free and confidential counseling on a variety of personal and professional issues that may be affecting the quality of their learning experiences. Should you require support, please contact the Walden Student Assistance Program found on your student portal.