Question 1

In 1974, the California Supreme Court ruled, in light of the Tarasoff case, that

Accepted Answer

A)   mental health professionals are obligated to make a risk assessment of patients and if the professional thinks the patient is dangerous and a victim is identified, the mental health worker has an obligation to warn the intended victim.
B)   mental health professionals bear no responsibility to individuals who are not in treatment with them.
C)   mental health professionals are only responsible for informing a potential victim if they have documented proof that their patient will attack.
D)   none of the above. A

Question 2

What are static, dynamic, and environmental variables? On which type of variables do actuarial approaches usually rely?

Accepted Answer

Static variables are constants that do not change over time, such as a person's date of birth. Dynamic variables, on the other hand, can change over time, such as a person's income or health status. Environmental variables are external factors that can impact a situation, such as economic conditions or natural disasters.

Actuarial approaches usually rely on dynamic variables, as they involve predicting future events and their financial impact, such as projecting future mortality rates or healthcare costs. By analyzing dynamic variables, actuaries can make informed decisions and manage risk effectively. Environmental variables may also be taken into account, as they can have a significant impact on the outcomes being predicted. Static variables may also be used in actuarial approaches, but they are typically not the main focus as they do not provide information on future changes or trends.

Question 3

Giving a potential victim a warning

Accepted Answer

A)   was successful in preventing violence from occurring in only a very small number of cases
B)   was successful in preventing violence from occurring almost always
C)   didn't affect the "base rate of violence in the population of people who made threats of violence
D)   was reassuring to everyone concerned C

Question 4

Because bail bondspersons who provide bail bonds have a strong financial interest in whether the person makes an appearance

Accepted Answer

A)   they rely heavily on predictive instruments in deciding whether to give bail bonds
B)   they are able to threaten those who fail to appear with bodily harm
C)   they engage in a form of risk management by staying in close touch with their customers on bail
D)   they make sure the profit margin is so high that they make money even if a third of their customers fail to make appearances

Question 5

One concerned raised by the outcome of the Tarasoff case was

Accepted Answer

A)   the effect of the Tarasoff duty on therapists practices.
B)   the unintended consequences to the potential victim (i.e., increased anxiety level, etc.) .
C)   that therapists could do everything "right" and still be accused of negligence.
D)   all of the above.

Question 6

One characteristic of actuarial prediction models

Accepted Answer

A)   is that despite their objectivity they may be racially discriminatory (racial profiling) 
B)   is that because of their objectivity they avoid racial discrimination
C)   is that we can be less concerned about the loss of liberty because the objective restrictions are slight
D)   is that they are less ethically troubling when used at an airport where the damage due to an error of prediction may be great.

Question 7

What is a false positive, a false negative? How does the adjustment of a cutoff score affect the percentage of false positives and false negatives?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a false positive, a false...

Question 8

Under Tarasoff, mental health professionals have a duty to

Accepted Answer

A)   be fully accurate in their predictions of dangerousness
B)   meet professional standards in their methods for assessing dangerousness
C)   avoid the hindsight bias
D)   call in the secret service to help prevent violence to their patient

Question 9

Predictions of dangerousness

Accepted Answer

A)   may be statistically significant (better than chance) , but have high error rates
B)   have been improved greatly by newer, more powerful statistical methods
C)   depend on the scientific development of new interview tools
D)   are most helpful when the event to be predicted is rare

Question 10

To formally label someone dangerous

Accepted Answer

A)   has no consequence because it is only a label
B)   may have serious consequences for that person's future
C)   does not matter because predictions of dangerousness are inaccurate
D)   matters because predictions of dangerousness are highly valid

Question 11

The Tarasoff decision revealed a difference in thinking between courts and mental health specialists subject to the rule. Courts are concerned

Accepted Answer

A)   first about the political consequences of their decisions
B)   about weighing and balancing values such as actions that attempt to save a life are more important than professional confidentiality
C)   with the empirical consequences of the rules of law they develop
D)   with the precision of the technology available to implement the decision

Question 12

Under the Constitution, the purpose of bail is to

Accepted Answer

A)   obtain money for the state to pay expenses of prosecution
B)   release an arrested person in exchange for a guarantee that he or she will return at proper times for scheduled hearings and for trial
C)   allow the state to further investigate an arrested person to find more evidence before trial
D)   hold someone else responsible if the defendant failed to appear for trial

Question 13

The amount of bail that is set

Accepted Answer

A)   has consequences for whether a person is actually released on bail
B)   for poorer people is set higher than for wealthier people because poorer people are more likely to flee
C)   for more serious offenses is about the same as for less serious offenses
D)   seems to be irrational and subject mostly to judicial whim

Question 14

A majority of mental health professionals

Accepted Answer

A)   agreed with the moral basis for the Tarasoff duty
B)   disagreed with the moral basis for the Tarasoff duty
C)   said they would ignore the Tarasoff duty and practice as they always had
D)   believed that the protection of confidentiality was a more important ethical responsibility than warning a potential victim

Question 15

In studies pertaining to the validity of predictions of violence among mentally ill people treated in psychiatric hospitals, it was shown that

Accepted Answer

A)   predictive techniques classified subjects less accurately than if they had done so by flipping a coin.
B)   predictive techniques classified subjects more accurately than if they had done so by flipping a coin.
C)   the results of the studies were unclear and biased, and, therefore, no statement about accuracy can be made.
D)   violence is never an issue with people with mental illness.

Question 16

If an individual has a high re-arrest rate, do you think it is justifiable to deny him or her bail?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If an individual has a high re-arrest...

Question 17

The values behind granting bail include:

Accepted Answer

A)   an accused person is innocent until proven guilty
B)   a person should not be kept in jail because of an accusation that has not been proven
C)   an accused person should be able to prepare a defense
D)   all of the above

Question 18

Research comparing statistical and clinical methods of risk assessment has typically shown that

Accepted Answer

A)   statistical methods of prediction are more accurate than clinical methods.
B)   statistical methods of prediction are less accurate than clinical methods.
C)   there is no difference in accuracy between clinical and statistical methods.
D)   none of the above

Question 19

Is the gain in public safety by detaining people thought to be dangerous great enough to justify the dollar and human costs of perhaps accidentally detaining someone who is not dangerous? Do you think there is reason for concern about racial and ethnic discrimination?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Is the gain in public safety by...

Question 20

The Vera Institute Bail project demonstrated that

Accepted Answer

A)   most of a random sample of those released without bail on their own promise to return failed to return
B)   most of a carefully selected sample of those released on their own promise to return did make appearances as they promised
C)   bail was unnecessary and had no function in the criminal justice system
D)   only very high bail had any usefulness in inducing people to return for trial

Exam 3: Prediction, Bail, and Tarasoff Duty