Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Ahead of Print
  • Past Issues
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Print Subscriptions
  • About
    • About the Journal
    • About the Academy
    • Editorial Board
  • Feedback
  • Alerts
  • AAPL

User menu

  • Alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
  • AAPL
  • Alerts
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Ahead of Print
  • Past Issues
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Print Subscriptions
  • About
    • About the Journal
    • About the Academy
    • Editorial Board
  • Feedback
  • Alerts
Research ArticleARTICLES

Clinical Assessment of the Voluntariness of Behavior

Seymour L. Halleck
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online June 1992, 20 (2) 221-236;
Seymour L. Halleck
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

There are a variety of therapeutic and forensic contexts in which the clinician is called upon to assess the voluntariness of behavior. Because the assessment has such complex moral and scientific dimensions, it has been difficult to conceptualize how it is done. By considering the behavior of clinicians and other relevant theoretical issues, the author has prepared a framework for thinking about the assessment of voluntariness. The relevance of diagnostic and philosophical issues is considered. Most of the factors which influence assessment are related to the nature of the patient’s pathological experience, hypotheses of causation, and method of treatment. Dr. Diamond had a deep interest in questions of voluntariness and responsibility. I know that he would have disagreed with, at least, some of the material, but I believe that he would have thoroughly enjoyed discussing and arguing the issues. I know that I would have loved the dialogue.

  • Copyright © 1992, The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online: 20 (2)
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
Vol. 20, Issue 2
1 Jun 1992
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in recommending The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law site.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Clinical Assessment of the Voluntariness of Behavior
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Clinical Assessment of the Voluntariness of Behavior
Seymour L. Halleck
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online Jun 1992, 20 (2) 221-236;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Clinical Assessment of the Voluntariness of Behavior
Seymour L. Halleck
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online Jun 1992, 20 (2) 221-236;
del.icio.us logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • Prearraignment Forensic Evaluations: Toward a New Policy
  • Trading Forensic and Family Commitments
  • Postconcussional Disorder and Loss of Consciousness
Show more ARTICLES

Similar Articles

Site Navigation

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Ahead of Print
  • Archive
  • Information for Authors
  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Board
  • Feedback
  • Alerts

Other Resources

  • Academy Website
  • AAPL Meetings
  • AAPL Annual Review Course

Reviewers

  • Peer Reviewers

Other Publications

  • AAPL Practice Guidelines
  • AAPL Newsletter
  • AAPL Ethics Guidelines
  • AAPL Amicus Briefs
  • Landmark Cases

Customer Service

  • Cookie Policy
  • Reprints and Permissions
  • Order Physical Copy

Copyright © 2025 by The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law