|
My research interests broadly span the interaction between psychology and the legal system (which is sometimes referred to as ‘forensic psychology’). Mostly this research addresses the utility of psychological data (e.g., tests, evaluation procedures) to answer or inform important mental health and legal questions within the criminal justice system (e.g., violence risk assessment, adjudicative competence, personality assessment within correctional settings), although I am also interested in various civil law issues such as child custody and adoption.
My research also focuses on the development and improvement of psychological assessment techniques and instruments, particularly those focusing on personality measurement in forensic and correctional settings. More specifically in relation to personality variables, of particular interest to me is the construct of psychopathy (also termed psychopathic personality disorder) and its growing impact in forensic and correctional decision-making around the world. My research along these lines has focused on more “basic” issues related to the assessment and measurement of psychopathic traits, as well as more “applied” issues such as its appropriate role in evaluating various populations within forensic and correctional settings (e.g., children, minorities) and the potentially stigmatizing effects of the label “psychopath.”
I also conduct research on human aggression, particularly related to the assessment and management of violence risk. This research interest cuts across several areas noted above (e.g., forensic assessment, psychopathy, legal decision-making) and has focused primarily on the clinical utility of various violence risk factors in identifying those most (or least) at risk for engaging in aggressive behavior.
|
|
Edens, J. F., Buffington-Vollum, J. K., Keilen, A., Roskamp, P., & Anthony, C. (2005). Predictions of future dangerousness in capital murder trials: Is it time to “disinvent the wheel?” Law and Human Behavior, 29, 55-86.
Edens, J. F., Campbell, J. S., & Weir, J. M. (2007). Youth psychopathy and criminal recidivism: A meta-analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist measures. Law and Human Behavior, 31, 53-75.
Edens, J. F., Colwell, L. H., Desforges, D. M., & Fernandez, K. (2005). The impact of mental health evidence on support for capital punishment: Are defendants labeled psychopathic considered more deserving of death? Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 23, 603-625.
Edens, J. F., Marcus, D. K., Lilienfeld, S. O., & Poythress, N. G. (2006). Psychopathic, not psychopath: Taxometric evidence for the dimensional structure of psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 131-144.
Edens, J. F., Poythress, N. G., & Watkins-Clay, M. M. (2007). Detection of malingering in psychiatric unit and general population prison inmates: A comparison of the PAI, SIMS, and SIRS. Journal of Personality Assessment, 88, 33-42.
Edens, J. F., & Ruiz, M. A. (2006). On the validity of validity scales: The importance of defensive responding in the prediction of institutional misconduct. Psychological Assessment, 18, 220-224.
Edens, J. F., Skeem, J. L., & Douglas, K. S. (2006). Incremental validity analyses of the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide and the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version in a civil psychiatric sample. Assessment, 13, 368-374.
Gingrich, K., & Edens, J. F. (in press). A case law survey of the Personality Assessment Inventory: Examining its role in civil and criminal trials. Journal of Personality Assessment.
McCoy, W. K., & Edens, J. F. (2006). Do black and white youths differ in levels of psychopathic traits? A meta-analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist measures. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 386-392.
McDermott, B. E., Edens, J. F., Quanbeck, C., Busse, D., & Scott, C. (in press). Examining the role of static and dynamic risk factors in the prediction of inpatient violence: Variable- and person-focused analyses. Law and Human Behavior.
|