Towards a Heuristic Neuropsychological Model of Adjudicative Competency

Olivia Aveson1, Paul G Nestor2, Kristy Klein2

  • 1Ms. Aveson is a Doctoral Candidate in the Clinical Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA. Dr. Nestor is Professor of Psychology at University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA and Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Dr. Klein is Program Manager, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Services, VA Central California Health Care System. olivia.aveson001@umb.edu.

Summary

Defendants found competent to stand trial (CST) demonstrate higher social intelligence and episodic memory, particularly verbal memory, compared to those deemed incompetent. These cognitive factors are crucial for understanding CST.

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