May 17 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Lecture: “Forensic Psychology: Faking Mental Illness in Court”
🎙️ Speaker: Dr. Patrick McGonigal, Ph.D., M.L.S.
When the stakes are high, some defendants will say – or fake – anything to avoid prison. How do psychologists distinguish genuine mental illness from calculated deception?
Join us for a fascinating evening as forensic psychologist Dr. Patrick McGonigal takes you inside the high-pressure world of criminal evaluations, where liberty, safety, and justice can hinge on a single assessment.
You’ll learn how clinicians detect malingering—the exaggeration or fabrication of psychiatric symptoms for external gain—and the science-based tools they use to separate fact from fiction in the courtroom. Dr. McGonigal will walk through real-world assessment strategies, discuss the ethical challenges involved, and explain how his work informs legal decisions about competency, responsibility, and risk.
Dr. McGonigal received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Forensic Emphasis from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is currently a psychologist at Patton State Hospital and has published numerous peer‑reviewed articles on forensic mental health.
Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌
Agenda
7:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key.
7:55 PM – Host introduction
8:00 PM – Lecture begins
8:45 PM – Audience Q&A
9:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round
9:30 PM – Wrap up.
