Deck 10: Section 2: The Insanity Defense

Question 1

Judicial nullification instruction can best be described as an instruction that lets jurors know that they can _____ a strict interpretation of the law if that legal interpretation would result in an unjust verdict.

A) only follow
B) disregard
C) pursue
D) summarize

Answer 1

disregard

Question 2

The text indicates that one possible useful application of batterer typology is to:

A) develop targeted interventions.
B) engage victim advocacy groups.
C) write a self-help manual for victims.
D) None of the above are useful applications.

Answer 2

develop targeted interventions.

Question 3

According to the text, men in intimate relationships are _____ the victims of physical assault.

A) never
B) sometimes
C) often
D) as frequently as women become

Answer 3

sometimes

Question 4

Hypervigilance can best be described as:

A) heightened attentiveness to the abuser's subtle behaviors.
B) lessened attentiveness to the victim's needs.
C) heightened sense of urgency to take action against the abuser.
D) lessened sense of self-worth.

Question 5

Chris is extremely jealous and has a fear of abandonment that often spills into impulsive violent altercations with his girlfriend, especially if she spends any time with her male friends. On the other hand, he appears totally normal and nonviolent to his co-workers and friends. This type of batterer may be classified as meeting the criteria for:

A) antisocial personality disorder.
B) conduct disorder.
C) borderline personality disorder.
D) anxiety disorder.

Question 6

Betty endured abuse throughout most of her 30+ years of marriage. During that time, she became less resistive to the attacks and more submissive. A term Lenore Walker used to describe this state is:

A) posttraumatic stress syndrome.
B) reorganization phase.
C) learned helplessness.
D) hypervigilance.

Question 7

Victims of rape trauma syndrome (RTS) and battered woman syndrome (BWS) may also meet the criteria for _____, which is an established medical diagnosis.

A) borderline personality disorder
B) chronic lateness syndrome
C) posttraumatic stress disorder
D) generalized anxiety disorder

Question 8

Marissa has been beaten by her husband on multiple occasions. She has learned to anticipate her husband's impending violence by carefully observing minute signs of his moods and behaviors. Which of the following terms is used to describe this type of heightened attentiveness in battered women?

A) Cycle of abuse.
B) Acute battering.
C) Learned helplessness.
D) Hypervigilance.

Question 9

One of the most criticized components of the battered woman syndrome (BWS) is _____.

A) cycle of abuse.
B) acute battering.
C) learned helplessness.
D) hypervigilance.

Question 10

Psychologists also use the term symptom to describe a particular _____ to a specific event.

A) emotional and therapeutic response
B) psychological and emotional reaction
C) psychological and ideological response
D) ideological and emotional reaction

Question 11

Studies have found that women who used violence against their abusers were likely to be found _____ in a jury trial, and expert testimony on BWS was likely to _____.

A) guilty; support the prosecution's arguments
B) not guilty; help the defendant win an acquittal
C) guilty; not make a difference
D) not guilty; matter very little

Question 12

Men are _____ women to seriously injure/kill their intimate partners.

A) more likely than
B) less likely than
C) equally as likely as
D) rarely able compared with

Question 13

Statistics noted in the text indicate that serious violence perpetrated by intimate partners is _____ to happen against women.

A) more likely
B) less likely
C) equally as likely
D) unlikely

Question 14

Until the second half of the twentieth century, wife battering was treated _____ most other forms of violence.

A) much more seriously than
B) much less seriously than
C) as seriously as
D) as lightly as

Question 15

According to the text, jurors appear to be _____ inclined toward women who kill their partners _____.

A) positively; after years of abuse
B) negatively; despite the evidence of abuse
C) negatively; but only if the woman killed her husband while he slept
D) especially positively; because they sympathize with abused women

Question 16

Symptoms of someone suffering from battered woman syndrome (BWS) may include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) body image distortion.
B) high self-efficacy.
C) high levels of anxiety.
D) sexual intimacy issues.

Question 17

The tension phase of the cycle of violence is often represented by _____, whereas the contrition phase is often represented by _____.

A) anger; verbal threats
B) arguing; denial
C) abuse; blaming
D) battering; denial

Question 18

Self-defense can be used in a court of law, when a defendant is facing charges as a result of killing her batterer. However, specific circumstances need to be introduced. Which of the following does NOT meet the requirements of self-defense?

A) The victim was in danger of imminent bodily harm.
B) No reasonable avenue of escape existed.
C) The force used to repel the abuser's attack was reasonable and proportional to the danger.
D) The abuse was relentless, and the victim was scared even when the abuser was asleep.

Question 19

A common term used to describe a group of associated symptoms that lead to a significant dysfunction in the performance of normal activities is:

A) syndrome.
B) diagnosis.
C) correlation.
D) reliability.

Question 20

The DSM-5 contains _____ among its classifications of mental disorders.

A) the rape trauma syndrome (RTS)
B) the battered women syndrome (BWS)
C) the battered spouse syndrome (BSS)
D) It contains none of these.

Question 21

According to Burgess and Holmstorm (1979), who coined the term RTS, about _____ of rape victims report that they still have not recovered 5 years after the incident.

A) one quarter
B) one half
C) three quarters
D) over 90%

Question 22

Several factors need to be considered in legal settings to understand how the dynamics of violence works and why battered women stay with their abusers. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A) How charming and charismatic was the abuser?
B) How much support did the victim receive from family and friends?
C) Did the victim make previous efforts to leave and what happened then?
D) Is the victim economically dependent on her abuser?

Question 23

According to the text, the typical rape is committed by acquaintances, with approximately _____ of rapes being committed by strangers.

A) 5%
B) 15%
C) 25%
D) 40%

Question 24

Because BWS and RTS are often difficult for the prosecution to integrate into a trial, many have advocated for testimony about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) instead. One reason why the use of this diagnosis proves to be more helpful in cases in which the victim kills the batterer is that:

A) no one understands BWS.
B) RTS has not been documented.
C) PTSD is better established as a mental disorder.
D) victims of PTSD have public support.

Question 25

Rape shield laws were put in place to prevent lawyers from delving into the sexual histories of _____ during the trial.

A) the defendant
B) the alleged victim
C) the alleged perpetrator
D) all parties involved

Question 26

PTSD was originally formulated to describe psychological symptoms experienced by _____ returning from _____.

A) combat veterans; the war in Vietnam
B) combat veterans; the war in the Persian Gulf
C) kidnap victims; captivity
D) assault victims; a range of military situations

Question 27

Which of the following statements correctly describes the current state of BWS validity?

A) BWS is accepted by many practitioners and criticized by many researchers.
B) Both practitioners and researchers uniformly reject this diagnosis.
C) Both practitioners and researchers have been more accepting of BWS recently.
D) There is a great deal of research supporting the validity of BWS.

Question 28

The main reason why PTSD is advocated as a replacement for BWS or RTS in a trial is that:

A) none of the PTSD symptoms fit BWS or RTS.
B) PTSD encompasses all the BWS and RTS symptoms.
C) PTSD has less prejudicial impact on jurors.
D) PTSD is more vague and can be applied more broadly.

Question 29

Judges often refuse to allow experts present information about RTS to the jury. All of the following would be typical reasons for such a decision on the part of a judge EXCEPT:

A) RTS testimony biases the jury against the defendant.
B) RTS testimony may lead to more invasive questioning of the victim.
C) Possible prejudicial impact of RTS testimony.
D) RTS testimony may improperly bias the jury against the victim.

Question 30

The term rape trauma syndrome (RTS) can best be described as a:

A) legal term.
B) medical term.
C) cluster of symptoms identified in a sample of rape victims.
D) psychological term applicable to all victims of abuse.

Question 31

Legal scholars who criticize the scientific validity of BWS have noted that it also had some positive effects on the legal system. Which of the following is NOT one of these positive effects?

A) It raised awareness about the ubiquity of domestic violence.
B) It stimulated research on the dynamics of violence in relationships.
C) It helped expose the limitations of the old-fashioned, rather sexist legal standard of self-defense.
D) It led to more women being convicted than acquitted in trials where BWS testimony was used.