Deck 11: Applying Social Psychology to the Criminal Justice System

Question 1

In an experiment on gaining false confessions,Kassin and Kiechel (1996)found that in the condition most biased toward yielding a false confession,______ of participants signed a confession,and of these,about ______ seem to have internalized the belief that they were guilty.

A) 50%; one third
B) 50%; two thirds
C) 100%; one third
D) 100%; two thirds

Answer 1

100%; two thirds

Question 2

In their research on the socialization of antisocial behavior in teenagers,Dishion,Spracklen,Andrews,and Patterson (1996)

A) observed the interaction among groups of three to four boys as they played various games
B) found that the way the delinquent group showed approval of talk about antisocial acts was through laughter
C) found an association between demonstrations of rule-breaking behavior at ages 17 and 18 and criminal activity in adulthood
D) found an association between demonstrations of rule-breaking behavior from ages 3 to 18 and criminal activity in adulthood

Answer 2

found that the way the delinquent group showed approval of talk about antisocial acts was through laughter

Question 3

Which is generally true of how a police officer should conduct an interview?

A) The officer should emphasize asking specific questions (e.g., "Did the offender have a mustache?").
B) The officer should stop the individual at various points during his or her narrative for the purpose of gaining clarification.
C) The officer should return the individual to the scene of the crime because doing so might trigger the individual's memory.
D) The officer should rely on racial stereotypes to help trigger the individual's memory.

Answer 3

The officer should return the individual to the scene of the crime because doing so might trigger the individual's memory.

Question 4

The multisystemic treatment program (Henggeler et al.,2009)is designed for the treatment of seriously violent youth.What is NOT true with respect to this programmatic intervention?

A) In helping a young person, program staff might work with family and school.
B) In helping a young person, program staff might arrange for individual counseling.
C) Attesting to the effectiveness of the intervention, evaluation research has shown recidivism rates almost as low as the rates of more expensive interventions, such as psychiatric hospitalization.
D) The program may be viewed as being consistent with the general personality and social psychological perspective.

Question 5

Which social psychological concept did the authors of Chapter 11 ("Criminal Justice System")NOT use in his analysis of the Matti Baranovski murder?

A) social facilitation
B) diffusion of responsibility
C) social learning
D) frustration-aggression hypothesis

Question 6

The authors of Chapter 11 ("Criminal Justice System")

A) argue for the social psychological perspective on the origins of criminality
B) argue behaviorism has advantages over the biological perspective
C) use the concept of strain as an example of a biological explanation of the causes of criminal behavior
D) note that social psychological explanations of criminal behavior focus on the role of dispositional factors as well as situational factors

Question 7

Adolescence-limited offenders

A) compose approximately 25% of adolescents
B) experience few developmental risk factors, such as punitive parenting
C) usually show an onset of antisocial behavior in preadolescence
D) are characterized by the display of violent offenses

Question 8

The life-course-persistent offenders compose somewhere around ______ of the population of adolescents.

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 70%

Question 9

Kassin and Kiechel (1996)conducted an experiment in which a participant was accused by the experimenter of carrying out an act that led to the loss of data.What did NOT characterize the research?

A) The participant was accused of hitting the wrong key on a computer.
B) In one condition, a confederate reported having seen the participant engage in the harmful act.
C) Initially, all participants denied that they had engaged in the harmful act.
D) Eventually, virtually all of the participants confessed to having engaged in the harmful act.

Question 10

The process by which the peers of a life-course persistent adolescent reinforce antisocial behavior is referred to as ______.

A) delinquency socialization
B) deviancy training
C) criminal inoculation
D) vicarious criminalization

Question 11

Which is NOT true with regard to the general personality and social psychological model of criminal behavior (Andrews & Bonta,2010)?

A) The influence of the relevant risk factors is viewed from a developmental perspective.
B) Antisocial attitudes have been demonstrated among the strongest predictors of criminal behavior.
C) Low socioeconomic status is one of the risk factors.
D) Low school achievement is one of the risk factors.

Question 12

Which is true with respect to the investigative interview?

A) Interviewing and interrogating involve different methods.
B) Interactional synchrony refers to the gradual convergence of a witness's recollection of events toward the expectations of the interviewer.
C) An interviewer should recognize that when people are lying, they tend to make fewer body movements than when they are not lying.
D) An interviewer should recognize that when people are lying, they tend to make three to four more body movements than when they are not lying.

Question 13

According to the authors of Chapter 11 ("Criminal Justice System"),Dishion,Spracklen,Andrews,and Patterson's (1996)research on antisocial socialization of adolescents had questionable ______ validity.

A) internal
B) predictive
C) construct
D) ecological

Question 14

Social scientific research contributed substantially to the development of a guide intended to assist law enforcement officers in their work.This document has been distributed to thousands of police organizations in North America.The guide focuses on improving police procedures regarding ______.

A) collecting eyewitness evidence
B) testifying in court
C) crime scene analysis
D) conducting investigative interviews

Question 15

The concept of de-individuation was linked,in particular,to what aspect of the Matti Baranovski murder?

A) The people passing by in their cars were aware of the presence of other bystanders in the area.
B) Matti's assailants wore masks.
C) Matti's assailants had come to the park with the intention of fighting another group.
D) The youth who attacked Matti had never seen him before.

Question 16

Which is NOT one of the categories of risk factors included in the general personality and social psychological model of criminal behavior (Andrews & Bonta,2010)?

A) exposure to a personally threatening social environment
B) low levels of school or vocational achievement
C) antisocial attitudes and beliefs
D) association with antisocial others

Question 17

In the research by Dishion,Spracklen,Andrews,and Patterson (1996)on how the socialization process in a peer group takes place,which group(s)spent more time discussing normative topics than rule-breaking topics?

A) no delinquent group
B) no delinquent group and mixed group
C) no delinquent group and delinquent group
D) no delinquent group, mixed group, and delinquent group

Question 18

According to Andrews and Bonta's (2010)general personality and social psychological model of criminal behavior,the antisocial behavior of adolescents tends to be deeply imbedded,in particular,within a(n) ______.

A) repressive family context
B) antisocial peer group
C) cluster of severely negative interpersonal relationships
D) subculture of alienation and hopelessness

Question 19

According to Choy,Farrington,and Raine (2014),there is growing recognition that theories of crime need to be more ______ informed.

A) sociologically
B) technically
C) psychologically
D) biologically

Question 20

Most good indicators of whether someone is lying or telling the truth relate to

A) what they say
B) how they say things
C) whether they display excess fidgeting when being interviewed
D) whether or not they make appropriate eye contact

Question 21

Which is NOT one of the broad dimensions on which the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (Moos,1987)is based?

A) benevolence-repression
B) system maintenance and system change
C) relationship-oriented
D) personal development

Question 22

If a juror's views about a case have been biased by media coverage,the bias most closely reflects ______ prejudice.

A) interest
B) normative
C) generic
D) specific

Question 23

Which lineup would be most appropriate in trying to identify a culprit?

A) where the foils do not match the description of the culprit
B) where the foils generally match the description of the culprit
C) where the foils very closely match the description of the culprit
D) where there are no foils

Question 24

A therapeutic community can be distinguished from other therapeutic approaches by its emphasis on ______ as the primary vehicle for promoting social and psychological change.

A) social psychological factors
B) the community
C) the transition to the home environment
D) the inmate-therapist relationship

Question 25

The social climate of the Stanford Prison simulation most closely reflected which dimension of the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (Moos,1987)?

A) benevolence-repression
B) system maintenance and system change
C) relationship-oriented
D) personal development

Question 26

Which is NOT true with respect to the Stay'n Out program?

A) It is relatively loosely structured to allow inmates to learn responsible autonomous behavior.
B) It emphasizes involvement in group seminars and group counseling.
C) It draws upon social learning theory (Bandura, 1977).
D) It contrasts philosophically with the prevailing political climate about the treatment of prison inmates.

Question 27

A riot at Bluewater Youth Centre in Goderich,Ontario (including subsequent related events),was featured in Chapter 11 ("Criminal Justice System")as an example of

A) the deleterious effects of overcrowded prison conditions
B) the abuse of inmates by correctional staff
C) how understanding-focused interventions can improve a deteriorating prison situation
D) how control-focused interventions can improve a deteriorating prison situation

Question 28

The results of a meta-analysis of 43 experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation studies of boot camps (Wilson et al.,2008)

A) were inconclusive
B) indicated that those who participated in boot camps had lower recidivism rates than those who had participated in comparison programs
C) indicated no differences in the recidivism rates of those who had participated in boot camps and those who had participated in comparison programs
D) indicated that those who had participated in boot camps had higher recidivism rates than those who had participated in comparison programs

Question 29

Which is NOT characteristic of the Stanford Prison simulation?

A) Randomization was used in the assignment of participants to the roles of prisoner and guard.
B) All participants were volunteers.
C) The simulation demonstrated both the beneficial and harmful consequences of prisons.
D) The simulation ended after six days.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) In Canada and the United States, criminal trials are conducted according to the adversarial model of the legal system.
B) In Canada and the United States, juries can be composed of either six or 12 members.
C) In Williams v. Florida (1970), the United States Supreme Court ruled that six- and 12-person juries are functionally equivalent.
D) The results of Asch's (1951) early conformity research suggested that six- and 12-person juries are not functionally equivalent.

Question 31

Which is true with respect to the prison system?

A) The vast majority of people serving time serve their sentences in the community rather than in prison.
B) During the last 40 years or so, there has been a shift away from goals and philosophy that emphasize punishment to those that emphasize rehabilitation.
C) Research indicates that in general, incarceration is effective in reducing the risk of recidivism.
D) During the last 10 years or so, there has been a shift away from goals and philosophy that emphasize punishment to those that emphasize rehabilitation.

Question 32

What has been found in research on jury size (i.e.,12 jurors versus six jurors)?

A) A juror holding a minority opinion experiences greater ability to resist conformity pressure in a 5-1 split than a 10-2 split.
B) Larger juries tend to recall fewer details of the trial.
C) Jury size does not influence the likelihood of a hung verdict.
D) Jury size does not affect the distribution of guilty versus innocent verdicts.

Question 33

The Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (Moos,1987)assumes that the social climate of a correctional institution is composed of ______ broad dimensions and consists of a total of ______ subscales.

A) three; six
B) three; nine
C) four; eight
D) four; 12

Question 34

The Stay'n Out program

A) is designed for prisoners with substance abuse problems
B) consists of two stages: treatment and consolidation/re-entry
C) is designed for all prisoners to help them with their journey to rehabilitation
D) is designed for prisoners with lying problems

Question 35

The forensic confirmation bias is an example of which social psychological phenomenon?

A) fundamental attribution error
B) descriptive norm
C) self-handicapping
D) self-fulfilling prophesy

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT very compatible with the contemporary political climate regarding what should be the goals and philosophy of correctional facilities?

A) boot camp programs
B) Stay'n Out program
C) Stanford Prison simulation
D) military training programs

Question 37

Which is one of the recommended procedures for conducting a lineup?

A) Make it clear to the witness that the suspect is one of the individuals in the lineup.
B) Use a sequential lineup.
C) Have an officer conduct the lineup who is aware of the identity of the suspect.
D) Have two officers who are aware of the identity of the suspect conduct the lineup.

Question 38

Qualitative research in which researchers have interviewed inmates to examine whether their experiences in prison are consistent with the goals of prison has found that

A) the experience of being in prison is incompatible with the goals of prison
B) the experience of being in prison is in direct opposition to the goals of prison
C) the experience of being in prison only occasionally maps onto the goals of prison
D) the experience of being in prison is generally consistent with the goals of prison

Question 39

In 1983,Ivan Henry was convicted in British Columbia of 17 counts of sexual offenses against women.Twenty-six years later the British Columbia Court of Appeal acquitted Mr.Henry of all charges.What was a problem with the lineup that contributed to the acquittal judgment?

A) use of inappropriately small number of foils in the lineup
B) use of a sequential lineup
C) presence of more than one suspect in the lineup
D) construction of lineup so that Mr. Henry stood out from the other members

Question 40

Which is true with respect to sentencing circles?

A) The people involved usually are limited to the offender, the offender's family, and representatives of the criminal justice system.
B) The agreed-on sanction is implemented by the community.
C) The underlying philosophy stresses the importance of the constructive release of anger and guilt.
D) all of these

Question 41

Jurors,like everyone else,are not impartial.Name the four types of bias faced by jurors,and explain two in depth.

Question 42

Self-fulfilling prophecy refers to the way in which a person's expectations can influence his or her own and others' behaviors in a way that will confirm the person's beliefs.

Question 43

As outlined in the text,de-individuation and social facilitation are good examples of distal variables (i.e.,those occurring in the distant past relative to the event)that can influence criminal behavior.

Question 44

Jury size,juror impartiality,and inadmissible evidence all influence interpersonal dynamics and decision making of key players in court cases.

Question 45

What is meant by bystander effect? Explain the link between bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility.

Question 46

Explain what a therapeutic community is,and outline the core concept behind it.

Question 47

The bystander effect refers to the fact that people are less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when others are present.

Question 48

The text outlines a relationship between an antisocial peer group and criminal behavior.Drawing on the work of Andrews and Bonta (2002),describe two ways that peers can influence criminal behavior.

Question 49

Explain what is meant by the cross-race effect.

Question 50

Therapeutic communities,representing prison environments that have relationship or personal-growth orientations,have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of recidivism among certain offender types.

Question 51

The chapter on applying social psychology to the criminal justice system described that rather than focusing exclusively on the personal characteristics of the individual offender,other environmental or situational factors may be at work.Describe two situational factors that may be considered determinants of criminal activity.

Question 52

Generic prejudice refers to a juror believing that there is such strong community sentiment supporting a particular outcome of the case that his or her ability to decide the case impartially based on the evidence becomes compromised in favor of the perceived normative attitude.

Question 53

Specific prejudice occurs when a juror holds attitudes or beliefs that might interfere with his or her ability to be impartial in a particular case.

Question 54

The fundamental attribution error (FAE)occurs when we underestimate the influence of internal factors and overestimate the influence of external factors when we evaluate others' behaviors.

Question 55

Social psychological theories of criminal behavior attempt to explain crime in relation to various factors in society,such as social class,poverty,and social inequity.

Question 56

Forensic confirmation bias occurs when a prior expectation about the guilt (or innocence)of a suspect influences a witness's judgments and perceptions toward new evidence in a confirmatory manner.

Question 57

Differentiate between biological,sociological,and social psychological theories of criminal behavior.

Question 58

Describe the general personality and social psychological model of criminal behavior.

Question 59

Describe the social ecological perspective used to examine criminal acts.

Question 60

Research has linked antisocial attitudes to criminal behavior.Andrews and Bonta (2002),in particular,have identified five elements that compose an antisocial pattern of attitudes.List four.