Deck 12: Law

Question 1

After a 36-hour interrogation,Liz just wanted it to end and so she confessed to a crime she knew she had not committed.How would Liz's confession be labelled?

A) internalized
B) compliant
C) reactive
D) misinformed

Answer 1

compliant

Question 2

Which of the following people is most likely to yield accurate results on a polygraph test?

A) someone who is guilty and naive
B) someone who is guilty and not naive
C) someone who is not guilty,and naive
D) someone who is neither guilty nor naive

Answer 2

someone who is guilty and naive

Question 3

With respect to social influence processes in interrogations,what does "internalization" mean?

A) the process in which innocent suspects come to believe that they have committed the crimes for which they are being interrogated
B) the process in which suspects confess to crimes that they did not commit in order to escape aversive interrogations
C) the process in which accused suspects are offered lighter sentences in exchange for important information
D) the process in which juries are able to disregard confession testimony that was extracted through coercion

Answer 3

the process in which innocent suspects come to believe that they have committed the crimes for which they are being interrogated

Question 4

Why are police interrogations often conducted in small,bare,soundproof rooms?

A) so that distractions will be minimized and the suspect will be better able to focus on the interrogation
B) so that suspects feel socially isolated and powerless
C) so that police operating costs will be kept to a minimum
D) so that other police officers will not become biased against particular suspects

Question 5

Harwin is hooked up to a mechanical instrument that records his heart rate,blood pressure,breathing,and sweat gland activity.What is Harwin being subjected to?

A) a polygraph test
B) an internalized interrogation
C) the voir dire process
D) a bogus pipeline

Question 6

Melinda is accused of embezzling funds from her employer.During a polygraph test,she is asked if she ever lied as a child.What is this question is an example of?

A) a control question
B) a crime-relevant question
C) a peremptory challenge
D) a reconstructive memory

Question 7

How accurate are the results of polygraph tests?

A) Polygraph tests are extremely accurate in detecting guilt in those who are guilty,and innocence in those who are innocent.
B) Polygraph results are more accurate in revealing the examiner's pre-existing beliefs than the suspect's guilt or innocence.
C) Polygraph tests can be fairly accurate when the suspect is naive and the examiner is competent.
D) Polygraph results prove guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt.

Question 8

Why do jurors often fail to adequately discount coerced confessions?

A) because of the positive coercion bias
B) because of the fundamental attribution error
C) because of a sentencing disparity
D) because of reconstructive memory

Question 9

Amy has been interrogated for more than 6 hours about a hit and run accident.She hasn't been able to explain that she was not involved in the crash because the officer interrupts each time she begins to explain.The officer is understanding and is generating possible reasons that Amy may not have stayed at the scene of the accident.What method of interrogation is being used?

A) the second degree induction
B) the Reid technique
C) the confession induction
D) the Lassiter technique

Question 10

In theory,what happens when innocent suspects are subjected to a polygraph test?

A) They are more aroused by crime-relevant questions than control questions.
B) They are more aroused by control questions than crime-relevant questions.
C) They exhibit overall lower levels of arousal than guilty suspects.
D) They exhibit overall higher levels of arousal than guilty suspects.

Question 11

What is the voir dire process is intended to do?

A) allow the lawyers to present evidence to the judge without the jurors present
B) identify and dismiss prospective jurors who may be biased
C) familiarize prospective jurors with one another before they begin deliberation
D) familiarize prospective jurors with the facts of the case prior to the actual trial

Question 12

Which of the following outcomes is most likely when an eyewitness positively identifies a defendant at trial?

A) The defendant is likely to confess to the crime.
B) The defendant is less likely to be found guilty by judges but not by juries..
C) The defendant is less likely to be found guilty and,in most cases,this is the correct verdict.
D) The defendant is more likely to be found guilty,though in many cases he or she has been misidentified.

Question 13

What do we call intentional efforts to "beat" a polygraph exam?

A) countermeasures
B) counterbalances
C) bogus pipeline
D) manipulation

Question 14

Which of the following is a major problem with using the polygraph as a lie detector?

A) Truthful persons often fail the test.
B) Arousal cannot be measured with the polygraph.
C) It measures only the vocal channel,ignoring all other channels.
D) Control questions tend to evoke arousal even in innocent people.

Question 15

How can guilty suspects fool a polygraph test?

A) by simply denying any and all involvement in the crime for which they are being questioned
B) by meditating prior to the administration of the test
C) by lying in response to any crime-relevant questions,but telling the truth in response to the control questions
D) by artificially inflating their arousal to control questions by tensing their muscles

Question 16

Which of the following conclusions is consistent with the results of Kassin and Kiechel's (1996)study?

A) Suspects are more likely to make a false confession when they are led to believe that they will then be able to testify against an accomplice and go free.
B) People often make false confessions to crimes,but they rarely come to internalize the belief that they are actually guilty.
C) People are more likely to falsely confess to a crime if they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the event.
D) People rarely make false confessions to crimes.

Question 17

What is one recent,and potentially promising,alternative to polygraph tests?

A) measures of electrical activity in the muscles
B) response time to answer crime-relevant questions
C) measures of body temperature fluctuations
D) use of hypnosis before interrogation

Question 18

Police interrogators often use minimizing techniques to secure confessions.Which of the following is one such tactic?

A) expressing certainty in the suspect's guilt
B) claiming to have an eyewitness to the crime
C) showing sympathy and understanding
D) minimizing the suspect by showing their own superiority

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the conclusions reached by Kassin and Kiechel (1996)concerning false confessions?

A) People are highly unlikely to confess to crimes they did not commit.
B) Internalized false confessions are most likely to occur when a suspect is intimidated with bright lights and physical threats.
C) Compliant false confessions are most likely to occur when a friendly interrogator offers sympathy and advice to a suspect.
D) Internalized false confessions are most likely to occur when false evidence of guilt is presented.

Question 20

What may lawyers use to dismiss prospective jurors without having to justify their dismissal?

A) jury nullification
B) sentencing disparity
C) peremptory challenges
D) normative influence

Question 21

Jesse has just witnessed a brutal assault.In his highly aroused state,what is Jesse is likely to focus on?

A) the exit path of the attacker
B) the weapon
C) the crime scene
D) the other witnesses

Question 22

An eyewitness identified Ashtok from a lineup as the man who robbed the bookstore.As an employee of the store,Ashtok was present during the crime but was not the person who committed the crime.Which of the following was the most likely cause of the eyewitness's false identification?

A) the leniency bias
B) the misinformation effect
C) a familiarity induced bias
D) the fundamental attribution error

Question 23

In which of the following situations are witnesses most accurate in making identifications?

A) when they are asked to make repeated judgments
B) when they are asked to make relative judgments
C) when they are asked to make absolute judgments
D) when they are asked to make familiarity-induced judgments

Question 24

Which of the following provides the best explanation of the misinformation effect?

A) If people don't have a clear memory for an event they have witnessed,they search for more information and may choose to incorporate those details into their memory.
B) If people don't have a clear memory for an event they have witnessed,they search for more information which may automatically become incorporated into their memory.
C) Even if people have a clear memory for an event they have witnessed,being exposed to relevant information will very likely change their memory.
D) Retelling events commits people to their recollections,regardless of whether or not those recollections are accurate.

Question 25

After Natalie testifies in court that she witnessed the defendant committing the crime in question,a memory expert is called to testify on behalf of the defence.The expert testifies that Natalie's ability to acquire the information accurately was probably impaired.Which of the following did the expert most likely have in mind when he questioned Natalie's ability to acquire the information accurately?

A) the arousal-focus effect
B) reconstructive memory
C) misleading questions
D) leniency bias

Question 26

Why does the presence of a weapon reduce eyewitness accuracy?

A) because weapons interfere with the retrieval of events
B) because witnesses have less sympathy for someone holding a weapon
C) because the sight of a weapon causes witnesses to become more self-aware
D) because witnesses tend to focus attention on highly salient features

Question 27

Which of the following most accurately summarizes an important point of controversy that has been debated among researchers who study reconstructive memory?

A) Some believe that post-event information actually alters a witness's real memory,whereas others believe it affects only the reporting of the memory.
B) Some believe that post-event information can bias an eyewitness's reporting of an event,whereas others believe that only information that is learned during acquisition can bias an eyewitness's reporting.
C) Some believe that scientific jury selection is an effective way to reduce the chances that jurors will be biased by reconstructive memory,whereas others believe that this strategy is unethical.
D) Some believe that the use of peremptory challenges leads to false memories,whereas others believe it helps ensure accurate memories.

Question 28

What do psychologists call the tendency for false post-event information to become integrated into a person's memory for the event?

A) the positive coercion bias misinformation effect
B) the familiarity induced bias
C) the leniency bias
D) the misinformation effect

Question 29

Sharon is called to testify about a conversation she overheard while waiting in line at a movie theatre.How is her highly confident testimony likely to influence the jury?

A) Juries tend to believe that highly confident eyewitnesses have been practiced by the lawyer,so the jury will not be influenced by Sharon.
B) Juries are well-informed about many of the factors that influence eyewitness accuracy so her confidence is likely to play less of a role than the evidence itself.
C) Juries tend to believe that accurate witnesses are not confident so will not be influenced by Sharon.
D) Juries tend to believe that highly confident eyewitnesses are more accurate,so the jury will be influenced by Sharon.

Question 30

Which of the following best illustrates the acquisition stage of memory?

A) When the robbers entered the building,Petra noticed that they were heavily armed.
B) After witnessing a hit and run,Vera repeats the licence plate of the car over and over so that she can give it to the police.
C) When interviewed by the police,Marlon told them everything he could remember about the bar brawl.
D) When asked to identify her attacker from a lineup,Coral wasn't sure which suspect had attacked her.

Question 31

Prida has witnessed a violent crime involving a knife.Research suggests that he will be less likely to identify the culprit than in a situation where no knife was present.Why is this so?

A) because Prida will be less aroused
B) because Prida will focus more on the victim
C) because Prida will spend more time looking at the knife
D) because Prida will be too afraid to remember anything accurately

Question 32

With respect to lineup identification,in which of the following situations do eyewitnesses tend to be less accurate?

A) when there are six foils present in the lineup
B) when the suspect is of the same race as the witness
C) when the witness is informed that the suspect may be in the lineup
D) when the suspect and the foils are viewed one at a time

Question 33

Brandon is a juror in a murder trial in which both the prosecution and defence are relying on eyewitnesses.Which of the following is most likely to happen?

A) Brandon will be able to distinguish those eyewitnesses who are accurate from those who are not.
B) Brandon will judge eyewitnesses who appear confident to be more accurate than those who appear less confident.
C) Brandon will underestimate the accuracy of all of the eyewitnesses.
D) Brandon will understand the factors that influence eyewitness accuracy enough to determine whether an eyewitness is biased.

Question 34

Participants who were asked how fast two cars were travelling "when they smashed into one another" gave higher estimates than those who were asked how fast the cars were going "when they contacted one another." Which of the following does this finding support?

A) the positive coercion bias misinformation effect
B) the familiarity induced bias
C) the leniency bias
D) the misinformation effect

Question 35

What is the stage in memory in which information is held to avoid forgetting?

A) the acquisition stage
B) the storage stage
C) the retrieval stage
D) the deliberation stage

Question 36

Marshall witnesses a man assault a woman with a hammer.A few days later,he is called to the police station to identify the culprit from a lineup.In which of the following situations is Marshall most likely to be accurate?

A) if the police tell him that the culprit is in the lineup
B) if one of the men in the lineup resembles the description that Marshall had given the police,while the other men in the lineup look very different from that description
C) if he is first presented with some mug shots and then views a lineup containing one of the men whose mug shot he has seen
D) if he observes the suspects and foils one at a time rather than together in a single lineup

Question 37

Tony,Silvio,Paul,and Christopher were all in the convenience store when it was robbed.Who is likely to be the most reliable eyewitness?

A) Tony,who was the only one to notice that the thief was brandishing a gun
B) Silvio,who was extremely aroused by the whole incident
C) Paul,who was drunk at the time of the crime
D) Christopher,who is the same race as the thief

Question 38

Kirk is going to be called to the witness stand to give his eyewitness testimony regarding a murder.If Kirk first hears other eyewitness accounts,which of the following is most likely to happen?

A) Hearing other accounts will make his testimony less accurate.
B) Hearing other accounts will counteract the misinformation effect.
C) Hearing other accounts will encourage him to be more accurate if the other eyewitnesses agree among themselves as to who the assailant was.
D) Hearing other accounts will encourage him to be less accurate if the other eyewitnesses disagree among themselves as to who the assailant was.

Question 39

Compared to the standard lineup procedure,when eyewitnesses are exposed to a sequential presentation of mug shots,what tends to happen?

A) The eyewitnesses tend to be more susceptible to the impact of post-event information.
B) The eyewitnesses tend to be more likely to positively identify a suspect without being confident.
C) The eyewitnesses tend to be more cautious in positively identifying a particular suspect.
D) The eyewitnesses tend to be less vulnerable to the leniency bias.

Question 40

All of the following appear to impact eyewitness identification performance EXCEPT which one?

A) lineup construction
B) lineup format
C) familiarity induced biases
D) eyewitness gender

Question 41

For two months before Pete's trial begins,the community has been saturated with pretrial publicity.Which of the following is most likely to happen?

A) The publicity will have little impact because the judge will be able to identify biased jurors in the voir dire.
B) Because the publicity is more likely to originate from the police,Pete is more likely to be convicted.
C) The publicity will have more of an effect if it is restricted to newspaper rather than television news.
D) The jurors will be more likely to acquit because of psychological reactance.

Question 42

Which of the following eyewitnesses is likely to be least confident in his or her identification?

A) Miguel,who is informed that another eyewitness identified the same suspect
B) Omar,who is informed that another eyewitness selected a very dissimilar suspect
C) Norm,who is informed that another eyewitness selected a very similar suspect
D) Alejandra,who is repeatedly questioned about the crime she witnessed

Question 43

Why are men more likely than women to be selected as jury foreperson?

A) because men are more likely than women to speak first in deliberations
B) because men are more likely to be selected to serve as members of juries in the first place
C) because men are more likely than women to intimidate other jury members
D) because jurors' implicit personality theories suggest that men make better forepersons

Question 44

Which of the following helps explain why jurors often disregard judges' instructions?

A) lack of competence
B) lack of legal experience
C) lack of appreciation of the legal process
D) lack of comprehension

Question 45

What is the term for jurors' power to disregard the law when it conflicts with their personal conceptions of justice?

A) jury challenge for cause
B) jury nullification
C) sentencing disparity
D) jury overruling

Question 46

According to research by Wells and Bradfield,how are eyewitnesses influenced by receiving feedback after making an identification?

A) They change the way they remember the initial event.
B) They become more confident in their accurate identifications but less confident of inaccurate ones.
C) They experience more positive emotion,but neither their memory nor their confidence are influenced.
D) They are influenced more strongly when there are identifying an individual from a different race.

Question 47

How does research on inadmissible evidence show that juries respond to the judge's instructions to ignore such information?

A) Juries ignore the information when it is inadmissible on the grounds of an unreliable source.
B) Juries continue to consider the information when it is reliable but inadmissible because of a legal "technicality."
C) Juries ignore the information if the foreperson reminds the panel of the judge's instructions.
D) Juries ignore the information.

Question 48

Which of the following is one reason judges' instructions tend to have little impact on jurors?

A) The instructions typically come before the evidence is presented,increasing the likelihood that the jurors will forget them.
B) The jurors often find the instructions incomprehensible,leading to misunderstandings and confusion.
C) The jurors frequently consider the instructions to be irrelevant to the trial,leading them to experience reactance.
D) The jurors generally prefer to avoid jury nullification.

Question 49

What has research on pretrial publicity demonstrated about bias?

A) It tends to produce bias in favour of the defendant and people will be well aware of this bias.
B) It tends to produce bias in favour of the defendant,though people will not realize they are biased.
C) It tends to produce bias against the defendant,and people will be well aware of this bias.
D) It tends to produce bias against the defendant,though people will not realize they are biased.

Question 50

In which of the following situations do judges' instructions to juries have the greatest impact?

A) when the prosecution of the defendant conflicts with jurors' notions of justice
B) when each juror receives a written copy of the instructions at the end of the trial
C) when they are delivered verbally after the evidence has been presented
D) when they are delivered in plain language prior to the presentation of evidence

Question 51

Eighteen-year-old André has been accused of statutory rape because he had sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend,who is considered a minor.When the case goes to trial,the prosecution presents evidence confirming that André broke the law,yet the jurors vote "not guilty" because they feel the law is outdated What does the jury's action illustrate?

A) jury challenge
B) internalization
C) sentencing disparity
D) jury nullification

Question 52

When a witness reveals inadmissible evidence,the judge informs jurors to disregard that evidence.Why do jurors ignore that instruction?

A) because they consciously decide to disagree with the law
B) because such evidence is usually not relevant to the case
C) because the judge's instructions give added attention to the evidence
D) because they disagree with the judge

Question 53

Kara sees a news story on television about an upcoming criminal defendant who was previously charged with similar crimes.If Kara is selected to serve as a juror for this defendant's trial,which of the following is most likely to happen?

A) The information concerning the defendant's prior criminal activity will have no impact on her verdict as long as she agrees to be objective and impartial.
B) The information concerning the defendant's prior criminal record may bias her impression of the defendant,but instructions from the judge can counteract such a bias.
C) Kara will interpret the facts of the case in a way that is consistent with the information about the defendant's prior criminal record.
D) The pretrial publicity will make the defendant seem more familiar to Kara and so she will be less likely to convict.

Question 54

According to research with mock jurors,in which of the following situations are jurors most likely to comprehend judges' conventional instructions relatively well?

A) when these instructions are accompanied by graphs
B) when these instructions are presented by the lawyers rather than by the judge
C) when these instructions are given first to the jury foreperson,who then passes them along to the rest of the jury
D) when these instructions are rewritten in plain words

Question 55

A judge instructs jurors that if they have a reasonable doubt about the defendant's guilt,they should return a verdict of not guilty.In which of the following situations do such instructions decrease the likelihood of a guilty verdict?

A) if the judge gives a detailed description of the legal meaning of reasonable doubt
B) if the instructions are given before the evidence
C) if the instructions are given after the evidence
D) if the judge strongly forbids anyone with a reasonable doubt from returning a guilty verdict

Question 56

Relative to large juries,why do smaller juries often spend less time deliberating?

A) because they are less likely to support a minority position
B) because they are more likely to have a male foreperson
C) because they are less inclined to reach a unanimous verdict
D) because they are not used in trials involving complex decisions

Question 57

Why do judges' instructions often have little impact on jurors?

A) because there are too many instructions for the jurors to follow
B) because the jurors disagree with the law
C) because they are delivered too early in the trial
D) because the jurors are afraid of the judge

Question 58

According to research on the subject,small juries are more likely than large juries to do which of the following?

A) produce non-unanimous decisions
B) resist normative pressures within the group
C) deliberate for a shorter period of time
D) be representative of the larger population

Question 59

Why does pretrial publicity tend to produce a bias against defendants?

A) because people assume that defendants are guilty until proven innocent
B) because information in news reports usually comes from police or the Crown prosecutor's office
C) because most people charged with crimes really are guilty
D) because the publicity makes the defendant seem more familiar,thus resulting in a familiarity induced bias

Question 60

Shaquille has been selected to be the foreperson of his jury.Which of the following is most likely to happen?

A) Shaquille will exert more influence over the jury's decision than other members of the jury.
B) Shaquille will spend more time than other jurors discussing procedural items.
C) Shaquille will exert less influence over the jury's decision than other members of the jury.
D) Shaquille will spend more time than other jurors expressing his opinion.

Question 61

Summarize the means by which the polygraph works as a lie detector.What two major problems call its accuracy into question?

Question 62

Why is there controversy surrounding the sentencing of individuals convicted of crimes?

A) because juries lack experience in determining the appropriate level of punishment
B) because juries are seen as too lenient
C) because judges are seen as too harsh
D) because judges vary greatly on the length of sentences they assign

Question 63

In a study by Partridge and Eldridge (1974),one judge recommended three years in prison for a man accused of extortion,whereas another judge recommended 25 years for the same crime.What do these findings demonstrate?

A) the misinformation effect
B) sentencing disparity
C) informational influence
D) the leniency bias

Question 64

Summarize the theory of reconstructive memory as it relates to eyewitness testimony.What does the research suggest about the use of such testimony from children?

Question 65

Which model of justice is practised in the court rooms of most countries in the world?

A) adversarial model
B) inquisitorial model
C) probabilistic model
D) logical-deductive model