Reference no: EM133453463
Assignment:
1. The question of abnormality versus normality lies at the heart of much psychological research on criminal behavior. The most commonly used insanity defense in criminal cases in the nation is the M'Naghten rule. This rule focuses on the cognitive state of the defendant at the time of committing the act with which they are charged. It states that to plead insanity, the accused must be:
"laboring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing, or if he did know it, he did not know that what he was doing was wrong."
Take some time to research and learn more about the M'Naghten rule, then research a criminal case (does not have to be a recent case) and create your own psychologically-based criminal defense. Please make sure to use concepts discussed in this chapter to frame your criminal defense.
2. In the video below, developmental psychology professor and researcher Lindsay Malloy breaks down the science underlying false confessions and calls for change in the way kids are treated by a legal system designed for adults. For this last point in the discussion board, share something with us that you found interesting as discussed in the video and that correlates to our understanding of crime from a psychological perspective.
Watch Video: Why teens confess to crimes they didn't commit | Lindsay Malloy.