The research reported in this paper was part of a research project conducted under the authority of the Dutch ministerial committee for the evaluation of the BOPZ law (the law on civil commitment), at the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction: Trimbos Institute. I wish to thank all judges and psychiatrists who cooperated in making this research possible.
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Article
How psychiatrists and judges assess the dangerousness of persons with mental illness: an ‘expertise bias’†
Article first published online: 17 APR 2002
DOI: 10.1002/bsl.468
Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Issue
1099-0798/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=27cb3cb3b3e789b2519ed5b84bdb198bf5ddfb33 "Behavioral Sciences & the Law")
Behavioral Sciences & the Law
Special Issue: Current Directions
Volume 20, Issue 1-2, pages 19–29, January - April 2002
Additional Information
How to Cite
Poletiek, F. H. (2002), How psychiatrists and judges assess the dangerousness of persons with mental illness: an ‘expertise bias’. Behav. Sci. Law, 20: 19–29. doi: 10.1002/bsl.468
- †
Publication History
- Issue published online: 17 APR 2002
- Article first published online: 17 APR 2002
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Abstract
When assessing dangerousness of mentally ill persons with the objective of making a decision on civil commitment, medical and legal experts use information typically belonging to their professional frame of reference. This is investigated in two studies of the commitment decision. It is hypothesized that an ‘expertise bias’ may explain differences between the medical and the legal expert in defining the dangerousness concept (study 1), and in assessing the seriousness of the danger (study 2). Judges define dangerousness more often as harming others, whereas psychiatrists more often include harm to self in the definition. In assessing the seriousness of the danger, experts tend to be more tolerant with regard to false negatives, as the type of behavior is more familiar to them. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.