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Forensic Neuropsychological Evaluation of Hispanics

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Handbook of Forensic Sociology and Psychology

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Abstract

Hispanics are a fast-growing segment of the population in the USA, and this is reflected in the number of Hispanics that become defendants in a criminal trial, plaintiffs in a civil suit, or involved in other civil procedures that may require neuropsychological assessment for forensic purposes. This chapter reviews current standards of practice for the evaluation of mostly Spanish-speaking individuals who come in contact with the law in English-speaking North America. There are general issues important in cross-cultural psychology that could impact the way that the pertinent issues are identified and assessed, and thus affect the conclusion reached. Cultural values such as “respeto” and degree of acculturation of the person assessed are two of the ethno-cultural values to consider at the time of the clinical evaluation, collateral interviews, and when offering opinions or recommendations for disposition. Potential problems in neuropsychological assessment include the use of interpreters when the evaluator is a non-native speaker, as well as the assumption by the evaluator that the descriptions and history provided by family members in response to closed questions is accurate. Assessment instruments available in the USA for use in evaluating motivation and neuropsychological functions in this population are identified. Issues particular to the evaluation of competence in this population are addressed.

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    Inés Monguió Ph.D.

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  1. Nursing and Health Sciences, California State University, East Bay, San Francisco, California, USA

    Stephen J. Morewitz

  2. College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Mark L. Goldstein

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Monguió, I. (2014). Forensic Neuropsychological Evaluation of Hispanics. In: Morewitz, S., Goldstein, M. (eds) Handbook of Forensic Sociology and Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7178-3_11

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