Question 1

In researching over 1,700 defendants appearing in Texas misdemeanor cases, Downs and Lyons (1991) found that the judges ____________ less attractive defendants.

Accepted Answer

A)  set lower bails for 
B)  set greater fines for 
C)  spent less time reviewing the cases of 
D)  spent more time questioning 
A)  set lower bails for 
B)  set greater fines for 
C)  spent less time reviewing the cases of 
D)  spent more time questioning

Question 2

Which of the following statements is FALSE about the misinformation effect?

Accepted Answer

A)  The misinformation effect can be reduced by warning witnesses, by explicitly saying that a piece of information was incorrect. 
B)  Trained psychologists can distinguish false memories from real memories. 
C)  Witnesses are especially likely to incorporate misleading information into their memories when they believe the questioner to be well informed. 
D)  Both adults and children may fall victim to the misinformation effect. 
A)  The misinformation effect can be reduced by warning witnesses, by explicitly saying that a piece of information was incorrect. 
B)  Trained psychologists can distinguish false memories from real memories. 
C)  Witnesses are especially likely to incorporate misleading information into their memories when they believe the questioner to be well informed. 
D)  Both adults and children may fall victim to the misinformation effect.

Question 3

Which of the following is recommended for increasing eyewitness accuracy and lineups?

Accepted Answer

A)  The detective should ask a series of yes-no questions rather than letting eyewitnesses offer unprompted recollections. 
B)  Have eyewitnesses judge each suspect individually, indicating yes or no to each one. 
C)  Ask eyewitnesses to carefully describe the suspect verbally before asking them to make a lineup choice. 
D)  Provide eyewitnesses with immediate feedback about the accuracy of their choices. 
A)  The detective should ask a series of yes-no questions rather than letting eyewitnesses offer unprompted recollections. 
B)  Have eyewitnesses judge each suspect individually, indicating yes or no to each one. 
C)  Ask eyewitnesses to carefully describe the suspect verbally before asking them to make a lineup choice. 
D)  Provide eyewitnesses with immediate feedback about the accuracy of their choices.

Question 4

Of the following eyewitnesses to a crime, who would probably appear most believable to a jury?

Accepted Answer

A)  Teddy, a fifth-grader whose father is a lawyer 
B)  Randy, a radio announcer who appears very confident about what he saw 
C)  Moira, a retired teacher who has traveled widely to visit other countries 
D)  Dawn, a shy student who smiles and speaks very softly 
A)  Teddy, a fifth-grader whose father is a lawyer 
B)  Randy, a radio announcer who appears very confident about what he saw 
C)  Moira, a retired teacher who has traveled widely to visit other countries 
D)  Dawn, a shy student who smiles and speaks very softly

Question 5

Jurors are best persuaded when

Accepted Answer

A)  allowed to summarize evidence on their own and create their own stories of the events. 
B)  attorneys present evidence in a narrative fashion. 
C)  viewing live versus videotaped witnesses. 
D)  they have heard about the case on TV before they became jurors. 
A)  allowed to summarize evidence on their own and create their own stories of the events. 
B)  attorneys present evidence in a narrative fashion. 
C)  viewing live versus videotaped witnesses. 
D)  they have heard about the case on TV before they became jurors.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true about the judge's instructions?

Accepted Answer

A)  Most people admit that pretrial publicity has influenced their tendency to be biased. 
B)  The effect of pretrial publicity on jury members can be removed by a judge's instructions to disregard such publicity. 
C)  A judge's orders to ignore inadmissible testimony can boomerang-adding to the impact of the testimony. 
D)  Getting jurors to publicly pledge their impartiality eliminates the effect of pretrial publicity. 
A)  Most people admit that pretrial publicity has influenced their tendency to be biased. 
B)  The effect of pretrial publicity on jury members can be removed by a judge's instructions to disregard such publicity. 
C)  A judge's orders to ignore inadmissible testimony can boomerang-adding to the impact of the testimony. 
D)  Getting jurors to publicly pledge their impartiality eliminates the effect of pretrial publicity.

Question 7

Jurors who are told by the judge to "disregard that witness's testimony" will be more likely to comply with that order when

Accepted Answer

A)  the testimony was highly emotional and vivid. 
B)  reactance prompts them to question the witness's conclusions. 
C)  they have been pretrained briefly about legal procedures. 
D)  when they had been exposed to pretrial publicity. 
A)  the testimony was highly emotional and vivid. 
B)  reactance prompts them to question the witness's conclusions. 
C)  they have been pretrained briefly about legal procedures. 
D)  when they had been exposed to pretrial publicity.

Question 8

Research on the effects of group deliberation by a jury suggests that

Accepted Answer

A)  groups do no better at recalling information from a trial than do their individual members. 
B)  deliberation cancels out some of the biases that contaminate individual judgments. 
C)  deliberation increases the likelihood that jurors will use inadmissible evidence. 
D)  deliberation draws jurors' attention toward their own prejudgments. 
A)  groups do no better at recalling information from a trial than do their individual members. 
B)  deliberation cancels out some of the biases that contaminate individual judgments. 
C)  deliberation increases the likelihood that jurors will use inadmissible evidence. 
D)  deliberation draws jurors' attention toward their own prejudgments.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a recommended strategy for increasing the accuracy of eyewitnesses and jurors?

Accepted Answer

A)  Train police interviewers to elicit unbiased accounts. 
B)  Educate jurors about the factors influencing eyewitness testimony. 
C)  Ask witnesses to scan a lineup of several mug shots simultaneously rather than one at a time. 
D)  Use scripted and neutral questions during lineups so there are no subtle demands of identification. 
A)  Train police interviewers to elicit unbiased accounts. 
B)  Educate jurors about the factors influencing eyewitness testimony. 
C)  Ask witnesses to scan a lineup of several mug shots simultaneously rather than one at a time. 
D)  Use scripted and neutral questions during lineups so there are no subtle demands of identification.

Question 10

Research indicates that eyewitnesses who remember trivial details of a crime scene

Accepted Answer

A)  also tend to overestimate the degree of harm or damage done as a result of the crime. 
B)  also tend to be particularly suspicious of all unfamiliar faces. 
C)  are less likely to have paid attention to the culprit's face. 
D)  are more likely to have paid attention to the culprit's face. 
A)  also tend to overestimate the degree of harm or damage done as a result of the crime. 
B)  also tend to be particularly suspicious of all unfamiliar faces. 
C)  are less likely to have paid attention to the culprit's face. 
D)  are more likely to have paid attention to the culprit's face.

Question 11

When jurors or some judges hearing a case are of like-minded people, they tend to go to extremes when making a decision as a group. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  group polarization. 
B)  group shift. 
C)  outgroup bias. 
D)  groupthink effect. 
A)  group polarization. 
B)  group shift. 
C)  outgroup bias. 
D)  groupthink effect.

Question 12

At the University of Washington, Loftus (1979) found that eyewitnesses in a hypothetical robbery-murder case were influential

Accepted Answer

A)  unless their testimony was shown to be useless. 
B)  even when their testimony was discredited. 
C)  only if other evidence supported their story. 
D)  only if they were similar to those making the judgments. 
A)  unless their testimony was shown to be useless. 
B)  even when their testimony was discredited. 
C)  only if other evidence supported their story. 
D)  only if they were similar to those making the judgments.

Question 13

What is meant by the "two-thirds-majority" scheme?

Accepted Answer

A)  Two-thirds of all people asked refuse to serve on a jury. 
B)  Two out of three times judges agree with the jury's decision. 
C)  A two-thirds majority is a better rule than consensus for a jury to follow in reaching a verdict. 
D)  The jury verdict is usually the alternative favored by at least two-thirds of the jurors at the outset. 
A)  Two-thirds of all people asked refuse to serve on a jury. 
B)  Two out of three times judges agree with the jury's decision. 
C)  A two-thirds majority is a better rule than consensus for a jury to follow in reaching a verdict. 
D)  The jury verdict is usually the alternative favored by at least two-thirds of the jurors at the outset.

Question 14

Which of the following eyewitness testimonies is probably the most reliable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Millie's report given immediately after a grocery store robbery. She was simply asked to tell the police what she saw. 
B)  Fred's report given in court about a bank robbery a month ago. He has been interviewed several times by the defense attorney before appearing in court. 
C)  Sue's report given immediately after observing an attempted rape. She was asked very specific questions by the police, who had identified a suspect immediately after the assault. 
D)  All of these would be equally reliable. 
A)  Millie's report given immediately after a grocery store robbery. She was simply asked to tell the police what she saw. 
B)  Fred's report given in court about a bank robbery a month ago. He has been interviewed several times by the defense attorney before appearing in court. 
C)  Sue's report given immediately after observing an attempted rape. She was asked very specific questions by the police, who had identified a suspect immediately after the assault. 
D)  All of these would be equally reliable.

Question 15

The FBI includes the "cognitive interview" procedure in its training program. Describe this procedure and explain why it helps reduce error in eyewitness testimony.

Accepted Answer

The cognitive interview is a procedure u

Question 16

Is it possible to "pick the right jury?" Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The concept of "picking the right jury"

Question 17

Summarize the research on racial biases in convictions and sentencing.

Accepted Answer

Research on racial biases in convictions

Question 18

The process of witnessing an event, receiving misleading information about it, and then incorporating the misleading information into one's memory of the event is referred to as the _______ effect.

Accepted Answer

A)  false memory 
B)  misinformation 
C)  inoculation 
D)  interference 
A)  false memory 
B)  misinformation 
C)  inoculation 
D)  interference

Question 19

Studies of eyewitness testimony indicate that

Accepted Answer

A)  jurors can discern whether eyewitnesses have mistakenly identified an innocent person. 
B)  when witnessing conditions are poor, jurors do not usually believe eyewitness testimony. 
C)  eyewitnesses who are shown to have poor eyesight have little effect on the jurors' judgment. 
D)  false eyewitnesses are usually recognized by the jury. 
A)  jurors can discern whether eyewitnesses have mistakenly identified an innocent person. 
B)  when witnessing conditions are poor, jurors do not usually believe eyewitness testimony. 
C)  eyewitnesses who are shown to have poor eyesight have little effect on the jurors' judgment. 
D)  false eyewitnesses are usually recognized by the jury.

Question 20

In an experiment conducted with the help of BBC Television, Wiseman (1998) reported that viewers saw the defendant played by either an attractive or an unattractive actor. How did the viewers react?

Accepted Answer

A)  More viewers "convicted" the attractive defendant. 
B)  More viewers "convicted" the unattractive defendant. 
C)  There was no difference in the conviction rates of the attractive and unattractive defendants. 
D)  Baby-faced defendants were more often found guilty. 
A)  More viewers "convicted" the attractive defendant. 
B)  More viewers "convicted" the unattractive defendant. 
C)  There was no difference in the conviction rates of the attractive and unattractive defendants. 
D)  Baby-faced defendants were more often found guilty.

In researching over 1,700 defendants appearing in Texas misdemeanor cases, Downs and Lyons (1991) found that the judges ____________ less attractive defendants.

Which of the following statements is FALSE about the misinformation effect?

Which of the following is recommended for increasing eyewitness accuracy and lineups?

Of the following eyewitnesses to a crime, who would probably appear most believable to a jury?

Jurors are best persuaded when

Which of the following statements is true about the judge's instructions?

Jurors who are told by the judge to "disregard that witness's testimony" will be more likely to comply with that order when

Research on the effects of group deliberation by a jury suggests that

Which of the following is NOT a recommended strategy for increasing the accuracy of eyewitnesses and jurors?

Research indicates that eyewitnesses who remember trivial details of a crime scene

When jurors or some judges hearing a case are of like-minded people, they tend to go to extremes when making a decision as a group. This is an example of

At the University of Washington, Loftus (1979) found that eyewitnesses in a hypothetical robbery-murder case were influential

What is meant by the "two-thirds-majority" scheme?

Which of the following eyewitness testimonies is probably the most reliable?

The FBI includes the "cognitive interview" procedure in its training program. Describe this procedure and explain why it helps reduce error in eyewitness testimony.

Is it possible to "pick the right jury?" Why or why not?

Summarize the research on racial biases in convictions and sentencing.

The process of witnessing an event, receiving misleading information about it, and then incorporating the misleading information into one's memory of the event is referred to as the _______ effect.

Studies of eyewitness testimony indicate that

In an experiment conducted with the help of BBC Television, Wiseman (1998) reported that viewers saw the defendant played by either an attractive or an unattractive actor. How did the viewers react?

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Exam 15: Psychological Disorders

In researching over 1,700 defendants appearing in Texas misdemeanor cases, Downs and Lyons (1991) found that the judges ____________ less attractive defendants.

Which of the following statements is FALSE about the misinformation effect?

Which of the following is recommended for increasing eyewitness accuracy and lineups?

Of the following eyewitnesses to a crime, who would probably appear most believable to a jury?

Jurors are best persuaded when

Which of the following statements is true about the judge's instructions?

Jurors who are told by the judge to "disregard that witness's testimony" will be more likely to comply with that order when

Research on the effects of group deliberation by a jury suggests that

Which of the following is NOT a recommended strategy for increasing the accuracy of eyewitnesses and jurors?

Research indicates that eyewitnesses who remember trivial details of a crime scene

When jurors or some judges hearing a case are of like-minded people, they tend to go to extremes when making a decision as a group. This is an example of

At the University of Washington, Loftus (1979) found that eyewitnesses in a hypothetical robbery-murder case were influential

What is meant by the "two-thirds-majority" scheme?

Which of the following eyewitness testimonies is probably the most reliable?

The FBI includes the "cognitive interview" procedure in its training program. Describe this procedure and explain why it helps reduce error in eyewitness testimony.

Is it possible to "pick the right jury?" Why or why not?

Summarize the research on racial biases in convictions and sentencing.

The process of witnessing an event, receiving misleading information about it, and then incorporating the misleading information into one's memory of the event is referred to as the _______ effect.

Studies of eyewitness testimony indicate that

In an experiment conducted with the help of BBC Television, Wiseman (1998) reported that viewers saw the defendant played by either an attractive or an unattractive actor. How did the viewers react?

Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

The Biology of Mind

Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind

Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity

Developing Through the Life Span

Sensation and Perception

Learning

Memory

Thinking and Language

Intelligence

What Drives Us: Hunger, Sex, Friendship, and Achievement

Emotions, Stress, and Health

Social Psychology

Personality

Therapy

Filters