Deck 2: Interrogations and Confessions

Question 1

The purpose of exculpatory scenarios is to:

A) attempt to devalue or negate evidence that might be used to clear the suspect.
B) increase the probability of admission of guilt through offering a justification for actions.
C) reduce the suspect's opportunities to implicate associates or enemies in the crime.
D) maximize the creation of fear in the suspect in terms of potential violence in jail or prison.

Answer 1

increase the probability of admission of guilt through offering a justification for actions.

Question 2

The tendency to believe that the behavior of others is caused by dispositional traits such as personality rather than some situational crisis is referred to as:

A) fundamental attribution error.
B) functional fixedness.
C) negative characterization hypothesis.
D) false personification syndrome.

Answer 2

fundamental attribution error.

Question 3

Which statement about the use of the Mr. Big technique is FALSE?

A) Mr. Big techniques have remained popular because psychological research finds they cause no real lasting damage.
B) False confessions are likely because the incentives to admit to committing alleged acts are too great.
C) The courts have found that the use of Mr. Big techniques does not appear to shock the community.
D) In the most recent case cited by the text, the court ruled the confession inadmissible because of the coerciveness of the inducements.

Answer 3

Mr. Big techniques have remained popular because psychological research finds they cause no real lasting damage.

Question 4

The main point of the story of the Kyle Unger Manitoba murder case was that:

A) after serving 14 years on a conviction that was overturned, a case cannot be retried.
B) acquittals may not result in wrongful conviction compensation if the case had a confession.
C) false testing of trace evidence may result in expensive wrongful conviction compensation.
D) cases may be overturned if police engage in an undercover sting to get a confession.

Question 5

Which statement about R. v. Sinclair is FALSE?

A) Police made false claims as to incriminating evidence that they had obtained.
B) From the outset of questioning, Sinclair said he would not speak without counsel present.
C) In jail, Sinclair made a second confession to an undercover police officer.
D) The court held that a phone call with an attorney was not representation at questioning.

Question 6

Which statement is NOT true concerning research on the effects of cautionary warnings?

A) Modifications of instructions, listing and explanations improved comprehension.
B) Overall, data indicate that people's comprehension is relatively low.
C) Comprehension increases significantly if a written copy of the warnings is provided.
D) Research indicates that comprehension increases under actual arrest conditions.

Question 7

In addition to the number of confessions obtained, the text explains that interrogations may also produce an additional _____ percent of cases where damaging statements or partial admissions are obtained.

A) 5-10
B) 13-16
C) 20-28
D) 30-42

Question 8

Utilizing two interrogators working together to obtain a confession is often referred to as:

A) tag teaming.
B) good cop-bad cop.
C) collar collaboration.
D) alternating interrogation.

Question 9

Which statement is NOT true of Canada's common law confession rule?

A) The rule was clarified and explained in R. v. Oickle in 1890.
B) It reflects the court's opinion that involuntary confessions are more likely to be unreliable.
C) Despite the rule, it has still been difficult for courts to determine voluntariness.
D) The level of analysis for inadmissibility of a confession is a reasonable doubt.

Question 10

Which statement about the Mr. Big technique is FALSE ?

A) It was developed by the RCMP in British Columbia.
B) It distinguishes between suspects in and out of police custody.
C) It relies heavily on the ability to infiltrate an existing criminal organization.
D) The technique is time consuming and costly in terms of elaborate staging.

Question 11

Which statement about Canadian crime data is TRUE?

A) Only about 5 percent of police interrogations end in a confession.
B) The ratio of police to citizens in Canada is about the same as similar countries.
C) In the past three decades, crime rates in Canada have decreased.
D) Canadians filed just under 2 million police reports in 2012.

Question 12

Which statement about interrogations and confessions is FALSE?

A) Protections against abuses in confessions and interrogations are guaranteed in the Charter.
B) Across Canada, there is a uniform dialogue of police cautions.
C) To render a confession inadmissible, police conduct would need to "shock the community."
D) It is permissible to offer counseling in exchange for a confession, even though such services are already available.

Question 13

Which is NOT one of the steps used in the Reid technique?

A) cut off all attempts by the suspect to deny involvement in the crime
B) as he or she appears to tire, avoid eye contact to help the suspect save face
C) hold attention by demonstrating sincere understanding, pats or touch
D) offer the suspect a plausible excuse for having committed the crime

Question 14

In R. v. Oickle the coerciveness of the confession was attributed to two police mistakes:

A) threatening to co-charge Oickle's brother and lying about fingerprints found at the scene.
B) referencing Oickle's mother's poor health and forcing him to take a polygraph.
C) lying that Oickle had failed the polygraph and exaggerating its accuracy.
D) misrepresenting the number of fires and the evidence found at the scene of the arsons.

Question 15

In the controversial case of R. v. Singh, the Canadian Supreme Court held that:

A) a person's request for an attorney is not the same as asserting the right to be silent, so questioning can continue.
B) at the time a person asserts the right to be silent, they can no longer be interrogated.
C) once a person requests an attorney, he or she can no longer be questioned about a crime.
D) police can continue to question suspects even after they assert their right to be silent.

Question 16

Which police tactic would render a suspect's confession inadmissible?

A) Saying it would be better to confess with the use of implied or actual threats or promises.
B) Involving a suspect's family in appeals.
C) Presenting fabricated evidence.
D) Using spiritual or religious directives to comply.

Question 17

The Reid technique is a form of interrogation that relies on a psychological process to glean information from a suspect. One of the four basic influence strategies is:

A) providing them a false sense of control.
B) creating illusions of how much time has elapsed.
C) establishing a sense of social isolation.
D) manipulating temperature levels in the room.

Question 18

According to the text, the most powerful type of evidence is _____ and behind that, _____ is the second most powerful form of evidence.

A) confession; DNA
B) surveillance film; confessions
C) DNA; eyewitness testimony
D) confessions; eyewitness testimony

Question 19

Research outlined in the text has shown that frequency of full confessions that are procured through interrogation is within the range of _____ percent.

A) 6-22
B) 15-25
C) 21-30
D) 39-48

Question 20

According to the text, which statement about research on confessions is FALSE?

A) In the United States police reported in one study that 68 percent of interrogated suspects make incriminating statements.
B) One study indicated that even though jurors in a mock trial reported disregarding coerced confessions, they still found the mock defendant guilty.
C) In one study of DNA-exonerated defendants, even though they falsely confessed, then pled not guilty, jurors still convicted them.
D) Researchers in Quebec found that women were more likely to believe that a false confession was coerced by the police than men were.

Question 21

Which is NOT a solution suggested by the authors for reducing the number of false confessions?

A) impose a time limit on interrogations of two hours or less
B) restrict the use of recaps where only selective portions of interviews are recorded
C) limit the use of "suspect-only" camera views
D) video-record custodial interviews of suspects

Question 22

What has been the Canadian courts' position on the use of deception by police during interrogations? How does the use of deception during interrogations in other countries such as England and Wales compare?

Question 23

As a result of a long, drawn-out interrogation process, Kathryn confessed to a crime knowing that she did not commit it. This type of confession is called an:

A) authentic-voluntary confession.
B) instrumental-coerced confession.
C) authentic-coerced confession.
D) instrumental-voluntary confession.

Question 24

Jillian had often suffered from a delusional behavior disorder. When brought in for questioning, she quickly confessed to a crime that she had taken no part in. The term used for this type of false confession is:

A) instrumental-voluntary confession.
B) authentic-voluntary confession.
C) instrumental-coerced confession.
D) authentic-coerced confession.

Question 25

Jeremy purposely confessed to a crime he did not commit to cover for his wife. This type of confession is referred to as an:

A) authentic-coerced confession.
B) authentic-voluntary confession.
C) instrumental-voluntary confession.
D) instrumental-coerced confession.

Question 26

What do we know about the relationship between confessions and trial outcomes?

Question 27

Which statement concerning safeguards for vulnerable suspects is TRUE?

A) Specific protections for youths are outlined under the Coerced Confessions Reform Act.
B) Youths can waive their rights to safeguards in interviews but only in video or written form.
C) There is one uniform youth waiver document used in Canada.
D) After appeals in the case of R. v. L.T.H., the acquittal was overturned as his statements were ruled admissible.

Question 28

The acronym for an alternative method of interrogation, PEACE, stands for:

A) personalize, educate, accuse, control and empathize
B) probing and posturing, evaluation, admission, confession and explanation.
C) pacify, empathize, advise and align, collaborate and clarify and end.
D) preparation and planning, engage and explain, account, closure and evaluation

Question 29

Of all of the traits that can be defined as vulnerability, the text argues that the most dangerous vulnerability is probably:

A) youth.
B) mental illness.
C) low intelligence.
D) high aggression.

Question 30

In King and Snook's research on the use of Reid techniques and other influence tactics and coercive strategies, it was found that:

A) about 50 percent of the Reid techniques were present in the interrogations analyzed.
B) the more techniques and influence tactics used, the more likely police were to get partial or full confessions.
C) defendants have become more sophisticated because of television dramas and are less influenced by coercion.
D) there was no relationship between the amount or type of tactic used and the outcomes of the interrogations.

Question 31

The most commonly identified type of false confession is the:

A) instrumental-coerced confession.
B) authentic-coerced confession.
C) instrumental-voluntary confession.
D) authentic-voluntary confession.

Question 32

What are some possible reforms that can be implemented in police interrogation procedures to reduce the risk of false confessions?

Question 33

Which statement about false confessions is FALSE?

A) Almost 90 percent of false confessions are for the crimes of rape and murder.
B) In the United States youths have a disproportionately high rate of false confessions.
C) Canadian police use an effective modified set of interrogation techniques for youth.
D) Research indicates those who falsely confess score high on suggestibility and compliance.

Question 34

Discuss some of the accepted as well as some of the controversial practices in police interrogation. Do you think courts should be stricter or more lenient in tolerating the more controversial approaches? Why or why not?

Question 35

According to the text, approximately _____ percent of wrongful convictions involve false confessions.

A) 10
B) 25
C) 35
D) 40

Question 36

After an intense interrogation process, Matthew became convinced that he had robbed the store. This form of false confession is called an:

A) instrumental-voluntary confession.
B) instrumental-coerced confession.
C) authentic-voluntary confession.
D) authentic-coerced confession.

Question 37

The neutral positioning of a camera to record both suspect and interrogator is called:

A) single-focus camera perspective.
B) multiple-focus camera perspective.
C) equal-focus camera perspective.
D) complex-focus camera perspective.

Question 38

The United Kingdom's Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) requires that police provide a number of protections. Which is NOT one of those protections afforded under the Act?

A) Allow appropriate adults to witness the interview of any vulnerable suspect.
B) Provide snacks, drinks and bathroom breaks for every 45 minutes of an interview.
C) Audio-record all interviews conducted at the police station.
D) Refrain from tricking or lying to any suspects as a means of inducing a confession.

Question 39

What are some of the research findings on false confessions?

Question 40

Research on youth and their understanding of legal rights has found that:

A) fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) youth scored the same as non-FASD youth on their ability to understand their legal rights.
B) fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) youth were more confident about their ability to understand their legal rights than researchers expected to find.
C) age, race and income all seem to predict risk factors for youth comprehending their legal rights.
D) simplification of wording and the use of a standardized fifth grade reading level has increased comprehension of legal rights in the last decade.