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PSY 270 Mind Over Matter.

PSY 270 Mind Over Matter.

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PSY 270 Mind Over Matter

What is the difference between mental illness and insanity?

According to the McNaughten rule insanity is a legal term use to describe individuals who are

unable to determine between right and wrong at the time of committing a crime. A mentally ill

individual might still be able to determine between right and wrong but instead of being

classified as insane they are simply described as having a mental illness.

The McNaughten rule cannot be used to defend the actions of a person who drinks alcohol

and then murders someone. Why not?

An individual is not able to use the McNaughten rule if they have committed a murder while

intoxicated because the state of being intoxicated is the result of a voluntary choice made by the

individual. The individual made a conscious decision to drink alcohol, which they knew could

cause them to have an altered mental status.

Identify each of the following:

1. Rational and guilty: When a person is found rational and guilty he or she is able to

determine between right and wrong at the time of committing a crime which results in a

guilty verdict. The fact that they were fully aware of their actions means that they are

held accountable for those actions.

2. Guilty but insane: In this scenario the individual who committed the crime suffers from

a mental illness but they still have the capacity to understand the difference between right

and wrong. Basically the court acknowledges the fact that the individual has a mental

illness but that the individual understood that what they were doing was wrong when they

committed the crime. There is also no proof that there was lack of intent. This verdict

leads to incarceration instead of institutionalization.

3. Not guilty by reason of insanity: In this case the individual who committed the crime

was incapable of knowing right from wrong at the time of the crime, which eliminates

any intent. The individual will be committed to a mental health facility where they will

receive treatment for their mental disorder. Once this individual is found to be stable they

may be released.

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*Please be sure to use this tutorial as a guide only. Do not plagiarize and do not resell as your own work. If you have any questions or problems with the tutorial please get a hold of me before leaving any negative feedback and I will resolve the issue. If you have trouble opening or viewing the files please contact me and I will fix the problem as soon as I can. Sometimes instructors change the syllabus so if the material does not match your syllabus please let me know. If I do not respond right away please be patient, I do have a full-time job and I try to check my messages once a day. ...
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