age, gender, socioeconomic status, education level, as
well as religious affiliations and beliefs. Therefore, a
multicultural or diversity component within the mas-
ter’s program will prepare students for serving a wide
range of clients. A comprehensive program will also
stress a multicultural component in the available intern-
ship or field placement options, which will provide
students with familiarity of a wide range of cultures
through hands-on experience.
In addition to formal coursework, perhaps one of
the most important considerations for prospective
graduate students in forensic psychology should be the
opportunities for practical application of learned mate-
rials in the form of field placements or internships.
When considering each program, applicants may be
well served by exploring the opportunities associated
with attendance at each program. For those students
with specific careers in mind, a placement at a related
site may be the cornerstone of their graduate school
experience. Such a placement may serve either to fur-
ther their commitment to an intended career path or
dissuade them from such a career. In addition, field
placements and internships often open the door to new,
previously unconsidered avenues, as well as assist in
developing beneficial professional relationships.
Although it should not be the only factor consid-
ered, prospective students may find it beneficial to
research the core faculty at each program. Research
interests, professional affiliations, publications, alma
maters, professional reputation, and length of time at
the program of interest may be helpful when consider-
ing faculty members with whom a prospective student
may want to work. In addition, inquiring as to whether
or not faculty members are willing to collaborate with
graduate students on current research and publications
also warrant consideration. Faculty areas of interest
may be of particular value for those students with a
bent for research. In this case, it is particularly impor-
tant not only that the program provide research oppor-
tunities but also that the faculty share similar interests
and are able to assist in student research endeavors.
Program structure, specifically regarding time
requirements, also warrants consideration. Although
most programs require full-time attendance in a
2-year program, there are exceptions. Prospective
students with families and those planning on main-
taining full-time employment while pursuing graduate
education may find their choice of programs limited
owing to time constraints. On the other hand, there are
several master’s programs in forensic psychologythat are composed of part-time students, but these
programs may require a prospective student to relocate
if in a different state. Therefore, to critically evaluate
each program, and choose that which best suits their
needs, availability, and current commitments, such
students should inquire as to whether part-time atten-
dance is possible, as well as the expected schedules,
average amount of independent work, and number of
field placement or internship hours required per week.Lavita Nadkarni and Krystal HedgeSee alsoDoctoral Programs in Psychology and LawFurther Readings
Arrigo, B. A. (2001). Reviewing graduate training models in
forensic psychology: Implications for practice. Journal of
Forensic Psychology Practice, 1,9–31.
Bersoff, D. N., Goodman-Delahunty, J., Grisso, J. T.,
Poythress, N. G., & Roesch, R. (1997). Training in law
and psychology: Models from the Villanova conference.
American Psychologist, 52,1301–1310.MEDIAVIOLENCE ANDBEHAVIOR
In contemporary society, a wide variety of violent con-
tent is reaching children through a variety of media
including television, movies, and video games. Often,
exposure to violence occurs with little adult or parental
supervision. Several content analyses have examined
the amount and content of violence on television.
These analyses have shown that as of the late 1990s
nearly two-thirds of the programs on television con-
tained some amount of violence. There are no compa-
rable figures for movies or video games because there
is no central source or collection of programming;
however, a variety of content analyses investigations
examining the most popular video games, for example,
appear to point to the same findings—violence is
prevalent in these formats.
Research on the effects of exposure to violence in
the media has included examinations of the effects of
violence in films, television, video games, and music
videos on aggressive behavior, thoughts, attitudes, and
emotions following exposure. The research has con-
sistently revealed a substantial, statistically significant
association between exposure to violence in the media482 ———Media Violence and BehaviorM-Cutler (Encyc)-45463.qxd 11/18/2007 12:43 PM Page 482