Chapter 21: Forensic Psychology
100 MCQs
1.
Which is an example of Legal psychology?
A.
Understanding jury selection
B.
The development of antisocial behaviour
C.
The study of different types of offenders
D.
Crime prevention
2.
Which of the following is true? Forensic psychology:
A.
Did not really emerge as a speciality until the middle of the nineteenth century.
B.
Has rapidly decreased in popularity in recent years.
C.
Is still not included on university postgraduate courses.
D.
Offers a range of professional opportunities for those with the appropriate qualifications.
3.
Which of the following statements is accurate in relation to the field of forensic psychology?
A.
The term ‘forensic psychology’ is now associated with any topic even remotely related to crime.
B.
Criminological psychology means the application of psychology to matters concerning the court of law.
C.
Legal psychology can be defined as ‘the application of psychological knowledge and methods to the study of crime and criminal behaviour’.
D.
None of the above.
4.
Which of the following is TRUE with regard to the origins of legal psychology?
A.
The application of psychology to the legal arena did not take place until at least 50 years after psychology first developed as a university-based academic discipline.
B.
The most influential figure of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was J. McKeen Cattell, an Americanbased German psychologist.
C.
It was Hugo Münsterberg who advanced the view that psychology could usefully be applied to enhance understanding of courtroom issues and procedures.
D.
Unfortunately Münsterberg’s writings did not stand the test of time.
5.
Which is NOT an area of forensic psychology that Munsterberg influenced?
A.
Psychologist as expert witness
B.
Jury selection
C.
Reliability of evidence
D.
Eyewitness testimony
6.
Which was an area that Munsterberg believed psychology could be applied?
A.
Industry
B.
Education
C.
Law
D.
All of the above
7.
Who was the first major figure in British forensic psychology?
A.
Hugo Munsterberg
B.
William Stern
C.
L.R.C. Haward
D.
J. McKeen Cattell
8.
Research into the accuracy of eyewitness testimony has focused on: (please highlight all CORRECT answers)
A.
Acquisition.
B.
Requisition.
C.
Attention.
D.
Retention.
9.
Which is NOT an area that has been studied in the pursuit of understanding eyewitness testimony?
A.
Initial observation of the incident
B.
The period between seeing and recalling
C.
Giving testimony
D.
None of the above
10.
One of the following variables for the study of eyewitness testimony is INCORRECT – but which one?
A.
Social variables, such as the status of the interrogator;
B.
Situational variables, such as the type of crime;
C.
Individual variables, such as witness age; and
D.
Interrogational variables, such as the date of the crime.
11.
And which one of the following can be said to be true about retention?
A.
During the retention stage, witness memory cannot be influenced.
B.
The time interval between acquisition and retrieval is a major consideration.
C.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the accuracy of eyewitness face identification does not deteriorate over time.
D.
None of the above.
12.
Is any one of the following statements about retrieval CORRECT? If so, please highlight it.
A.
Retrieval can be affected by interview style, but not recall aids.
B.
Leading questions contain information (always intentional) that can bias the respondent’s reply.
C.
Witnesses can give incorrect replies to questions even though the memory trace (‘retention’) itself has apparently not been distorted.
D.
None of the above.
13.
Which is NOT an area for which a forensic psychologist may be asked to give testimony in a court room?
A.
The accuracy of eyewitness memory
B.
The likelihood of false confession
C.
The sanity if the offender at the time of the crime
D.
The reliability of children as witnesses
14.
When giving expert testimony, forensic psychologists should ______.
A.
‘Dumb-down’ the information so that everyone in the courtroom can understand
B.
Be able to defend their conclusions logically, and with support of available research
C.
Offer information outside of their expertise that are supported by psychological research
D.
Make recommendations based on the best interest of the client regardless of feasibility
15.
Which is a critical skill/training that a forensic psychologist should have before giving eyewitness testimony?
A.
Assessment skills
B.
Communication skills
C.
Training in completing evaluations in a legal setting
D.
All of the above
16.
Viewing a violent crime results in ______.
A.
Poorer eye-witness accuracy
B.
Greater eye-witness accuracy
C.
Eye-witness accuracy that is no better or worse than viewing a non-violent crime
D.
All of the above depending upon situational factors
17.
In a stressful situation, like a violent crime, what does people’s attention focus on?
A.
Small details about the criminal’s attire and behaviour
B.
Central details
C.
Peripheral details
D.
Large general details about the personal behaviour
18.
If a person is asked to retrieve information after three days or five months, how will the longer time interval affect their memory?
A.
The will fewer correct identifications and false identifications
B.
They will have more correct identifications and false identifications
C.
They will have fewer correct identifications and more false identifications
D.
They will have more correct identifications and less false identification
19.
If a person is asked to retrieve information after 2 hours or 24 hours, what will happen?
A.
People who retrieve information after only 2 hours will have less false identification
B.
People who retrieve information after 24 hours will have less correct identification
C.
Not enough time has elapsed, and both groups will do equally well
D.
Both A and B
20.
People witness a car accident, and one police officer asks what they remember when the cars ‘smashed’ into each other, while another police officer asks what they remember when the cars ‘bumped’ into each other. What do people remember?
A.
People remember that there was broken glass when asked about the smash
B.
People report that the cars were driving very slowly when asked about the bump
C.
Both A and B
D.
None of the above, more information is needed about other situational cues before you can establish what people reported
21.
Leading questions ______.
A.
Influence central details
B.
Influence peripheral details
C.
Lead to permanent changes in memory
D.
Both A and C
22.
Which of the following is NOT true regarding Gudjonsson and Clark’s styles of coping response?
A.
They describe an illogical yet realistic approach to coping.
B.
They describe a passive, helpless coping stance.
C.
During questioning, the suspect has to recall information.
D.
During questioning, the suspect must make some difficult decisions.
23.
Which of the following is TRUE during questioning?:
A.
The suspect has to decide how confident she is in her memories.
B.
C.
The answer that the suspect gives fits in with his/her private knowledge of events.
D.
The suspect must feel s/he can trust the interrogator. Coerced suspects are likely to rebut persuasive attempts to bring them to confess.
24.
Which is NOT a reliable and strong factor that has consistent effects on eyewitness testimony?
A.
Relationship between witness confidence and accuracy
B.
Differences between adult and child witness memory performance
C.
The influence of a disguise on witness accuracy
D.
The effect of the length of time that a witness has to observe an incident
25.
Which is NOT a weak or non-influential factor that has no effect on eyewitness testimony?
A.
Gender
B.
Crime seriousness
C.
Personality
D.
Intelligence
26.
Which of the following statements about Narby, Cutler and Penrod’s (1996) categories of witness-related evidence is false?
A.
They created four categories of witness-related evidence based on reliability and magnitude of effect.
B.
Their first category refers to reliable and strong factors that show consistent effects on eyewitness memory.
C.
The second category refers to reliable and moderate factors that show effects in some studies but not in others.
D.
The third factor refers to weak or non-influential factors that have little or no effect on witness accuracy.
27.
What level of reliability and magnitude of effect does the weapon focus effect have?
A.
Non-influential reliability and no effect
B.
Weak reliability and little effect
C.
Moderate reliability and effect
D.
Strong reliability and effect
28.
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.
Critics such as Konečni and Ebbesen (1986) and Yuille and Cutshall (1986) note the lack of realism in many experimental studies.
B.
Laboratory studies allow a low degree of control but with the benefit of realism.
C.
Field research is less realistic and less ‘ecologically valid’.
D.
The problem of control in field research is unique to research in the domain of forensic psychology.
29.
And which of the following is FALSE?
A.
The strongest conclusions that can be validly drawn will most likely be derived from a variety of studies.
B.
Relevant types of research investigation include laboratory studies and case studies.
C.
Relevant types of research investigation include field studies and archival studies.
D.
Different approaches employ the same range of designs and methodologies.
30.
Which is a way that forensic psychologists use to measure crime?
A.
Victim surveys
B.
Self-reports of known criminals
C.
Reconviction records
D.
All of the above
31.
There are generally differences between different types of measurement of crime (e.g. official vs. unofficial reports). What have researchers found about the consistency within different official records of crime?
A.
They are consistent
B.
They are widely inconsistent
C.
Composites of these measures are most accurate
D.
These measures are highly inaccurate
32.
Which THREE of the following statements do we know to be true about confessions?
A.
In law, a confession is exceptionally powerful evidence.
B.
A confession can be defined as an irrefutable admission of guilt.
C.
Most confessions are false.
D.
Some people have been known to ‘confess’ to a crime they did not commit.
33.
Which is NOT an example of different types of false confession?
A.
Voluntary confession
B.
Coerced-resistant confession
C.
Coerced-compliant confession
D.
Coerced-internalized confession
34.
Where a false confession ensues, we know that this process of coerced agreement can be seen in two distinct ways. But which of the following statements is FALSE?
A.
Where a false confession ensues, the suspect’s internal account of events can change to fall into line with the interrogator, so that, both publicly and privately, the suspect comes to agree with the interrogator’s version of events.
B.
Where a false confession ensues, the suspect can remain aware that his/her confession and her private, internal knowledge of the event disagree, but the suspect nevertheless comes to agree with the interrogator.
C.
The example in answer (b) is called a coerced–submissive false confession.
D.
The example in answer (a) is called a coerced–internalized false confession.
35.
Unfortunately, imprisonment on the basis of a false confession does occur. Which of the following assertions about false imprisonment is also TRUE?
A.
Gudjonsson (2003) offers a catalogue of cases in which people have been imprisoned for long periods on the basis of a false confession.
B.
There has not yet been a catalogue of cases in which people have been executed on the basis of a false confession.
C.
In the UK, infamous cases of false confession include those of the ‘Guildford Four’ and ‘Birmingham Six, two court cases from the mid-1980s.
D.
Matters of guilt and innocence are clear-cut, and the discovery of a mistake in sentencing almost always comes to light very quickly.
36.
Which is the INCORRECT answer? A voluntary false confession may occur:
A.
When, in the absence of any obvious external pressure, an individual presents himself to the police and admits to a crime he did not commit.
B.
Through the desire for notoriety.
C.
Because the individual may feel proud about a previous event in his life.
D.
Through an inability to distinguish between fact and imagination.
37.
Are any of the following statements about false confession incorrect? (Please highlight all INCORRECT answers.)
A.
Voluntary false confession does not tend to occur through the desire to protect someone else.
B.
Revenge has been noted as another motive that can lead to a false confession.
C.
In contrast to voluntary false confessions, the essential element of a coerced confession is that the individual is discouraged from confessing.
D.
It has been suggested that to understand coercion within the context of a false confession it is necessary to begin with the process of police interrogation.
38.
What is a feature of many high-profile crimes?
A.
Many people come forward to confess
B.
They are difficult to solve
C.
Media attention alerts the criminals to police activity
D.
Breaks come from media related tips
39.
Police officers ____.
A.
No longer use isolation as an interrogation tactic
B.
Are taught that they must overcome the suspect’s natural resistance to tell the truth
C.
Avoid situations that may create psychological distress or exacerbate existing conditions
D.
All of the above
40.
Identify any CORRECT statements from the below in relation to interrogational tactics.
A.
Interrogational tactics are frequently based on the social psychology of conformity, obedience and persuasion.
B.
The interrogator may suggest that that they have the power to determine what charge will be brought against the suspect.
C.
The interrogator may suggest that that they have the power to determine whether the suspect will receive bail or be remanded in custody.
D.
All of the above.
41.
Which of the following statements are TRUE?
A.
There have been no legal changes in the rules governing interrogations
B.
Dubious practices in interrogation are supported
C.
It is difficult to be certain how the minutiae of interrogations influence the outcome
D.
People are pessimistic that any change will improve conditions
42.
Which of the following is INCORRECT?
A.
The interrogator might use persuasive tactics designed to encourage the suspect to confess.
B.
The interrogator might suggest that there is no evidence to prove the case against the suspect.
C.
The interrogator might suggest that accomplices have confessed.
D.
The interrogator might produce dummy files of evidence.
43.
Identify the CORRECT answer from the options below, in relation to coerced false confessions.
A.
Gudjonsson and Clark (1986) said that a suspect will come to an interrogation with a hostile cognitive ‘set’.
B.
The suspect’s cognitive set will affect his/her strategy for coping with the interrogation.
C.
Gudjonsson and Clark describe three styles of initial coping response.
D.
None of the above.
44.
The notion of compliance has a long history in psychological research. Which of the following is also true when it comes to coerced compliance?
A.
The compliant suspect copes with the pressures of interrogation by coming to disagree with the interrogator.
B.
The compliant suspect might wish to please the interrogator.
C.
Both (a) and (b).
D.
Neither (a) nor (b).
45.
Which is NOT a factor that can influence a person’s cognitive set during interrogation?
A.
Intelligence
B.
Level of stress
C.
Experience with police questioning
D.
None of the above
46.
Active resistance to interrogation ______.
A.
Reduces stress
B.
Leads to increased susceptibility to persuasion
C.
May weaken as the interrogation progresses
D.
Once begun, will protect from any persuasion
47.
Why might a person give a confession under coercion if they knew it was false?
A.
To avoid further detention
B.
Avoid imagined physical harm
C.
To strike a deal for some reward
D.
All of the above
48.
What is the essential element in a coerced-internalized confession?
A.
Belief in the police
B.
Doubts that their own memory is incorrect
C.
Low intelligence
D.
A fear of harm
49.
Which is NOT a psychological theory that coerced-internalized confessions may be related to?
A.
Authoritarian personality
B.
Cognitive dissonance
C.
False memories
D.
Authority obedience
50.
Which is NOT a factor that may trigger interrogative suggestibility?
A.
Self-perception
B.
Intelligence
C.
Psychological state
D.
None of the above
51.
Which of the following statement about interviews is FALSE?
A.
Interviews are the most common way of gathering information
B.
Generally the police will interview witnesses, suspects and victims
C.
Interviewing children is something to be avoided because they are such poor witnesses
D.
The purpose of interviews is to gather and cross-check information and elicit confessions
52.
Which of the following are accurate statements about the cognitive interview? (Please highlight all CORRECT answers.)
A.
The cognitive interview illustrates the application of psychology to facilitate investigative interviewing.
B.
The cognitive interview is an attempt to find a constructive solution to the problems of eyewitness testimony and improve the accuracy of eyewitness recall.
C.
While the weight of evidence shows that the cognitive interview elicits more correct information than other types of interview, this method is generally not well received by police officers.
D.
All of the above.
53.
Which is NOT encouraged by the cognitive interview?
A.
Witnesses are encouraged to begin their from the middle of the story
B.
Witnesses are asked to answer very specific and regulated questions about small aspects of their experience
C.
Witnesses are encouraged to give the story from someone else’s perspective
D.
None of the above
54.
Fisher, McCauley and Geiselman (1994) describe how the original cognitive interview protocol, used by police officers, incorporated four techniques to enhance memory retrieval. But which of the following was NOT part of this original cognitive interview protocol?
A.
Reverse order.
B.
Context reinstatement.
C.
Guided imagery.
D.
Report everything.
55.
During context reinstatement what are witnesses NOT encouraged to recollect?
A.
The description of the event from the beginning
B.
Sights and sounds at the time of the event
C.
How they felt during the incident
D.
What they were thinking about as the incidence occurred
56.
Which is NOT part of the theory underpinning the use of context reinstatement and report everything?
A.
Promoting memory by creating a similar psychological context of the event