Samuel Adjorlolo

The Nature of Instrumentality and Expressiveness of Homicide Crime Scene Behaviors A Review

Homicide offender typologies developed based on crime scene behaviors have practical utility for scholarly and criminal investigative endeavors. Hence, there has been an increasing interest to develop empirical and testable offender typologies. Specifically, the present study offers a review of the instrumental/expressive offender dichotomy, which is developed primarily based on the analysis of (nonsexual) homicide crime scene behaviors. The validity of the instrumental/expressive dichotomy of homicide offenders have been supported by various studies that sampled population from different countries. In addition, the extant literature indicates that the instrumental and expressive categories could further be expressed in different subthemes or dimensions. Implications for practice in the aspect of suspect prioritization as well as for research are discussed.

Can Teleneuropsychology Help Meet the Neuropsychological Needs of Western Africans? The Case of Ghana

In Ghana, the services of psychologists, particularly clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists, remain largely inaccessible to a large proportion of those in need. Emphasis has been placed on “physical wellness” even among patients with cognitive and behavioral problems needing psychological attention. The small number of clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists, the deplorable nature of road networks and transport systems, geopolitical factors, and a reliance on the face-to-face method in providing neuropsychological services have further complicated the accessibility problem. One way of expanding and making neuropsychological services available and accessible is through the use of information communication technology to provide these services, and this is often termed teleneuropsychology. Drawing on relevant literature, this article discusses how computerized neurocognitive assessment and videoconferencing could help in rendering clinical neuropsychological services to patients, particularly those in rural, underserved, and disadvantaged areas in Ghana. The article further proposes recommendations on how teleneuropsychology could be made achievable and sustainable in Ghana.

Executive functioning profiles of adult and juvenile male sexual offenders: A systematic review

Abstract Evidence regarding biological correlates of sexual offending, which might enhance the understanding, research, and treatment of these offenders, is rather emerging or in the embryonic stage. In this study, our main objective is to identify specific executive functioning (EF) processes that are commonly impaired in sexual offenders, and to further determine whether these differ as a function of offender subtypes. A search is conducted in ProQuest, Criminal Justice Abstract, EBSCOhost, and Social Science Citation Index electronic journal databases for studies published spanning the period 1990–2015. Google Scholar and Google search engines were also searched and the reference lists of the retrieved papers were searched for additional papers. A total of 1303 papers were retained for consideration. After removing duplicates, and subjecting the retrieved papers to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 24 papers (19 published and 5 unpublished) were deemed appropriate for the review. While several EF processes have been investigated, the available evidence implicates deficits in cognitive flexibility and inhibition of interference as commonly reported among adult male sexual offenders. This finding may be due to the sensitivity of tests of cognitive flexibility (e.g. the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) and inhibition of interference (e.g. the Stroop Test) to frontal lobe lesions, and also because these tests are among the most frequently administered EF tests as revealed by this study. Juvenile sexual offenders, however, exhibit no distinct EF profiles. The findings of the study, implications for treatment, and recommendations for future studies are succinctly discussed.

Forensic Assessment via Videoconferencing: Issues and Practice Considerations

Forensic assessment videoconferencing (VC) is gradually gaining popularity among forensic mental health practitioners. Given the profound impacts of the characteristics of VC on forensic assessment destined for courts, knowledge of and familiarity with the salient features of the technology and its application in forensic assessment is relevant so as to obviate any potential negative impact. The present study examines some issues as well as practice considerations that may help forensic psychologists enhance the results of forensic assessments conducted with VC technology. Discussions and suggestions on how to advance forensic assessment via VC are offered.

Mental Health Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Offenders With Mental Illness (Insanity Acquittees) in Ghana

Mental health professionals’ attitudes toward offenders with mental illness have significant implications for the quality of care and treatment rendered, making it imperative for these professionals to be aware of their attitudes. Yet, this topical issue has received little research attention. Consequently, the present study investigates attitudes toward offenders with mental illness (insanity acquittees) in a sample of 113 registered mental health nurses in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey and self-report methodology, the participants respond to measures of attitudes toward offenders with mental illness, attitudes toward mental illness, conviction proneness, and criminal blameworthiness. The results show that mental health nurses who reportedly practiced for a longer duration (6 years and above) were more likely to be unsympathetic, while the male nurses who were aged 30 years and above were more likely to hold offenders with mental illness strictly liable for their offenses. Importantly, the nurses’ scores in conviction proneness and criminal blameworthiness significantly predict negative attitudes toward the offenders even after controlling for their attitudes toward mental illness. Yet, when the nurses’ conviction proneness and criminal blameworthiness were held constant, their attitudes toward mental illness failed to predict attitudes toward the offenders. This initial finding implies that the nurses’ views regarding criminal blameworthiness and conviction may be more influential in understanding their attitudes toward offenders with mental illness relative to their attitudes toward mental illness.

Diagnostic Accuracy, Sensitivity, and Specificity of Executive Function Tests in Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury in Ghana.

The sociocultural differences between Western and sub-Saharan African countries make it imperative to standardize neuropsychological tests in the latter. However, Western-normed tests are frequently administered in sub-Saharan Africa because of challenges hampering standardization efforts. Yet a salient topical issue in the cross-cultural neuropsychology literature relates to the utility of Western-normed neuropsychological tests in minority groups, non-Caucasians, and by extension Ghanaians. Consequently, this study investigates the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of executive function (EF) tests (The Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test), and a Revised Quick Cognitive Screening Test (RQCST) in a sample of 50 patients diagnosed with moderate traumatic brain injury and 50 healthy controls in Ghana. The EF test scores showed good diagnostic accuracy, with area under the curve (AUC) values of the Trail Making Test scores ranging from .746 to .902. With respect to the Stroop Test scores, the AUC values ranged from .793 to .898, while Controlled Oral Word Association Test had AUC value of .787. The RQCST scores discriminated between the groups, with AUC values ranging from .674 to .912. The AUC values of composite EF score and a neuropsychological score created from EF and RQCST scores were .936 and. 942, respectively. Additionally, the Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, EF composite score, and RQCST scores showed good to excellent sensitivities and specificities. In general, this study has shown that commonly used EF tests in Western countries have diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity when administered in Ghanaian samples. The findings and implications of the study are discussed.

Criminal Responsibility and the Insanity Defence in Ghana: The Examination of Legal Standards and Assessment Issues

Jurisdictions across the world have promulgated legal standards for determining criminal responsibility and for invoking the insanity defence in criminal proceedings. At the moment, the literature on this contentious yet interesting topical issue is inundated with studies from western countries, predominantly the United States and Europe. There is little information on the insanity defence and criminal responsibility standards in sub-Saharan African countries whose justice and governance systems are by-products of colonisation. To address this research lacuna, this manuscript broadly focuses on and elucidates the legal standards for establishing criminal responsibility and most importantly the insanity defence in Ghana. The origin of the insanity defence standard and its contrast to standards in the United States jurisdictions is examined briefly. Issues relating to the prescribed procedure for insanity determination, particularly assessment, are also highlighted succinctly. We conclude by recommending refinement of the existing standards given the changing and developing medico-legal knowledge.

Diversion of Individuals with Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System in Ghana

ABSTRACT The overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system is a major challenge facing criminal justice and mental health professionals and policy makers. This article discusses the recently enacted diversion legislation aimed at intercepting and transferring individuals with mental illness to mental health facilities for treatment in Ghana. Importantly, recommendations aimed at ensuring effective implementation of the diversion legislation using the Sequential Intercept Model have been proffered. Efforts to improve the organization and delivery of mental health services, as well as effective collaboration between the criminal justice and public mental health systems should be given priority.

Ecological validity of executive function tests in moderate traumatic brain injury in Ghana

Abstract Objective: While executive functioning (EF) tests are frequently administered in several Sub-Saharan African countries, studies examining their predictive relationships with real-world behaviors (i.e. ecological validity) are nonexistent. The present study investigated the predictive relationship between the Stroop Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and Trail Making Test (TMT), a general cognitive screening test, Revised Quick Cognitive Screening Test (RQCST), and measures of activities of daily living, quality of life, and cognitive failures in Ghana. Method: A total of 50 literate urban dwellers who were diagnosed with moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) were administered the neuropsychological tests and the self-report measures stated above. The informant version of the Cognitive failure questionnaire (CFQ) was completed by 50 ‘significant other’ who knew the patients very well. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the self and informant versions of the CFQ. Some EF test scores, specifically the Stroop Test, TMT and EF composite scores, correlated significantly with the outcome measures, with correlations ranging from .29 to .55. The RQCST explained 40–49% variance in the outcome measures, while the addition of the EF composite score not only resulted in 57–62% variance accounted for but also added incremental validity to the RQCST in predicting the behavioral measures, with the exception of cognitive failures. Conclusion: This study has shown that although EF test scores, specifically the Stroop Test, TMT and EF composite scores, can be used to predict real-world behavior after moderate TBI in Ghana, such predictions are likely to be limited. The general implication for cross-cultural neuropsychology is that the (limited) ecological validity of EF tests may not necessarily be affected by whether the tests were administered in settings where they have not been standardized. This argument is, however, tenable granted that the test taker’s backgrounds are similar to those on which the tests have been standardized.

Judicial Trustworthiness in Africa: Do Macro-Level Conditions Matter?

The current study’s primary goal was to assess the extent to which specific macro-level conditions cause variation in citizens’ levels of trust in courts across 33 African countries. Using an advanced analytical technique, results revealed that a country’s levels of democracy has a significant and positive relationship with citizens’ trust in the court. However, institutional corruption and crime (homicide rate) had significant and negative relationship with citizens’ trust in the court. Moreover, findings observed indicate that the relationship between macro-level factors and trust in the court is mediated by region of the country. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.