Deck 14: Forensic Psychology

Question 1

Whether individuals can understand legal proceedings and can assist their attorney in their defense is called

A) sanity.
B) competence to stand trial.
C) cognitive maturity.
D) all of the above

Answer 1

competence to stand trial.

Question 2

Which of the following is likely to be found not competent to stand trial?

A) a person with moderate mental retardation
B) a person with depression
C) a person who presents evidence of traumatic abuse as a child
D) a person who has schizophrenia and has never received treatment

Answer 2

a person who has schizophrenia and has never received treatment

Question 3

Which of the following practitioners would offer advice to attorneys about jury selection and eyewitness testimony?

A) law enforcement psychologists
B) litigation psychologists
C) correctional psychologists
D) all clinical psychologists

Answer 3

litigation psychologists

Question 4

____________________occurs when a psychologist attempts to evaluate the psychological state of an individual after than individual is deceased.

A) A postmortem evaluation
B) A psychological profile
C) A psychological autopsy
D) An advance medical directive

Question 5

According to the text, which of the following legal situations do many mental health professionals consider the most ethically challenging and clinically difficult?

A) psychological autopsies
B) advance medical directives
C) child custody and parental fitness evaluations
D) competency hearings

Question 6

The insanity plea is entered in what percent of criminal cases?

A) .2%
B) .5%
C) 5%
D) 10%

Question 7

Insanity

A) is clearly defined in the DSM-IV-TR.
B) is a psychological concept that dates from the early stages of clinical psychology.
C) can be assessed by using specific questionnaires.
D) is a legal term whose standards have evolved over time.

Question 8

Malingering refers to

A) lying to create a viable defense.
B) making up a story to make another person seem guilty of the offense.
C) trying to appear more impaired and mentally ill, so as to avoid prosecution.
D) attempting to establish an alibi that is impossible to confirm or disconfirm.

Question 9

A formalized indication of a desire to not receive life-sustaining medical treatment if one becomes incapacitated is called

A) a living will.
B) an advance medical directive.
C) civil competency.
D) all of the above

Question 10

According to published guidelines, which of the following is NOT considered essential for a child custody evaluation?

A) a review of documents relevant to the case
B) interviews with and observations of the parents and the children
C) standardized testing of parents and children
D) all of the above are essential in a child custody evaluation

Question 11

What is the most common parenting recommendation made by experts in custody cases?

A) limited joint custody.
B) joint custody with parents splitting physical custody 50%/50%.
C) sole physical and legal custody with the mother.
D) flexible custody arrangements where parents decide weekly what will be done with the children.

Question 12

Which of the following is a change that has been made to the insanity defense in the last 20 years?

A) Several states have abolished the insanity defense altogether.
B) Several states have added the Guilty but Mentally Ill (GBMI) verdict.
C) neither of the above
D) both of the above

Question 13

Assessing competence to stand trial usually begins with

A) a detailed analysis of records.
B) an intelligence test.
C) a mental status examination.
D) projective personality testing.

Question 14

Criminal profiling remains somewhat controversial because

A) many outcome studies have been undertaken by individuals who have a stake in the results of the studies.
B) many profiles have been inaccurate.
C) there is a lack of empirical evidence to support the practice.
D) all of the above

Question 15

The McNaughton rule established guidelines for

A) criminal competence.
B) determining whether a defendant was insane when committing a crime.
C) loosening the current definitions of insanity for defense purposes.
D) all of the above

Question 16

The increase in neuropsychological evidence about the development of the brain has led to discussions about

A) whether juveniles should be tried and punished under the same standards as adults.
B) whether any criminal is competent to stand trial.
C) the role of psychologists in the determination of sanity and insanity for defense purposes.
D) the impossibility of psychological autopsies on adolescents.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT considered an essential ability for competent decision making?

A) understanding the basic information relevant to the decision
B) being of at least average intelligence
C) to anticipate the consequences of various decisions
D) to be able to communicate a personal decision or choice

Question 18

Forensic psychology is a specialty area that

A) has become a major professional activity for many clinical psychologists.
B) applies psychological principles and knowledge to legal issues.
C) is a growth area in clinical psychology.
D) all of the above

Question 19

When Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) defenses are successful, what is the usual outcome for the defendants?

A) They are allowed to return to their former life.
B) They will be put on psychotropic medications and then tried again for the same crime.
C) They will stay in a treatment facility for the same amount of time as if they had been convicted of the crime.
D) They will probably spend more time in the treatment facility than they would have spent in prison if convicted of the same crime.

Question 20

Which of the following behaviors would constitute a "tort."

A) malpractice
B) libel and slander
C) negligent behavior causing harm to another
D) all of the above

Question 21

Describe the factors that research indicates are, and are not, associated with poorer child adjustment after parental divorce.

Question 22

Federal Rule of Evidence 702 concerns

A) the reliability of scientific expert testimony.
B) the applicability of the testimony to the facts of the case.
C) the qualifications of the expert who is testifying.
D) all of the above

Question 23

If a defendant is found not to be competent to stand trial, he or she will receive treatment and then be released.

Question 24

Competence focuses on the "present ability" of the defendant to participate in the legal process.

Question 25

Describe the three ways that claims for psychological disability might arise.

Question 26

Describe the difference between tort cases and criminal cases.

Question 27

Tort law provides a mechanism for society to seek redress for harm individuals suffer from a defendant's wrongful acts.

Question 28

Expert witnesses often give their opinion on whether a defendant is competent to stand trial.

Question 29

Less than half of defendants referred for competency evaluations are actually found to be competent.

Question 30

Assessing families in crisis is one of the most rapidly growing fields in forensic psychology.

Question 31

Expert witnesses on psychological matters

A) are becoming increasingly rare as the public is becoming more skeptical of their findings.
B) testify in more than 25% of trials held in federal court.
C) testify in as many as 1,000,000 civil trials a year.
D) are more common in criminal than in civil trials.

Question 32

In neither civil nor criminal courts can experts

A) describe the parties' symptoms.
B) explain evaluation and assessment instruments.
C) present their opinion about the parties' sanity at the time of the offense.
D) give a diagnosis.

Question 33

What are some of the problems with psychological autopsies? Should psychologists concern themselves with these issues? Why or why not?

Question 34

Evidence indicates that mediation has a more positive impact on the post-divorce adjustment of both parents and children than litigation.

Question 35

What relatively new role for clinicians has emerged as more couples seek and obtain joint custody of children after divorces, and need help navigating their new parenting roles?

A) parenting coordinator
B) parenting caseworker
C) family therapist
D) none of the above, there is little role for clinicians once the divorce is final

Question 36

The "diminished capacity" defense is designed to absolve the defendant of responsibility.

Question 37

Current child-custody laws still clearly and legally favor the mother as the custodial parent.

Question 38

What is a reason custody mediation might be undertaken?

A) Protracted custody battles can leave families emotionally and financially challenged.
B) Mediation helps the parties emotionally accept the situation.
C) Mediation can help settle disputes and help establish a stable co-parenting relationship.
D) all of the above

Question 39

There are strict guidelines for conducting psychological autopsies.

Question 40

Explain the McNaughton rule, and the impact it has had on present day forensic psychology.