Document Detail


Adjudicative competence: evidence that impairment in "rational understanding" is taxonic.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20822285     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
In Dusky v. United States (1960), the U.S. Supreme Court articulated 3 abilities that determine a criminal defendant's competence to stand trial: He or she must be able to consult with counsel, have a factual understanding of the proceedings, and have a rational understanding of the proceedings. Although the legal determination of a defendant's competence involves a dichotomous judgment, the latent structures of the constructs that underlie the abilities articulated in Dusky are unknown. The current study focused on the rational understanding prong of the Dusky standard. We hypothesized that, whereas factual knowledge of the legal system and ability to assist counsel may fall on a continuum, plausible (i.e., rational) beliefs about legal proceedings may be dichotomous in nature. Taxometric analyses of the Appreciation scale of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool--Criminal Adjudication, with a sample of 721 defendants, provided support for a taxonic structure.
Authors:
David K Marcus; Norman G Poythress; John F Edens; Scott O Lilienfeld
Related Documents :
3297465 - Legal and ethical implications of surrogate mother contracts.
16648525 - Euthanasia: the role of the psychiatrist.
8353795 - Death in america: a clinician's perspective.
2790225 - The psychiatrist's guide to right and wrong: part iv: the insanity defense and the ulti...
20383255 - Sheep abortions in southland caused by an as-yet unidentified gram-negative rod.
17103665 - Announcement.
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Psychological assessment     Volume:  22     ISSN:  1939-134X     ISO Abbreviation:  Psychol Assess     Publication Date:  2010 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-09-08     Completed Date:  2011-01-18     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8915253     Medline TA:  Psychol Assess     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  716-22     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive, Suite 5025, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA. david.marcus@usm.edu
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Comprehension
Forensic Psychiatry / methods,  standards
Humans
Mental Competency / legislation & jurisprudence,  psychology*,  standards
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / standards
Psychometrics
Psychotic Disorders / psychology
Schizophrenic Psychology
United States
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01MH54517-01A1/MH/NIMH NIH HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  A reexamination of the factor structure of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale: is...
Next Document:  The regulatory function of self-esteem: testing the epistemic and acceptance signaling systems.