Deck 6: Interviews and Eyewitness Identifications

Question 1

In the robbery of the BP gas station, which of the following was NOT useful in identifying the perpetrator?

A) a videotape of the robbery
B) eyewitness testimony
C) neighborhood canvass
D) an STR DNA profile

Answer 1

a videotape of the robbery

Question 2

FACES is ______.

A) a computer software program that can be used to develop composites of suspects
B) a federal program designed to reduce auto theft
C) a federal program similar to neighborhood watch
D) a technique used in conducting DNA analysis on skin cells or hair

Answer 2

a computer software program that can be used to develop composites of suspects

Question 3

With regard to show-up identifications, ______.

A) they are conducted less frequently than lineups
B) they are complicated to conduct
C) they are very suggestive
D) it puts more pressure on a witness than a line-up

Answer 3

they are very suggestive

Question 4

With regard to eyewitness identifications in photo lineups, ______.

A) feedback should always be given to witnesses about whether they identified the right person
B) witnesses should be told that the suspect is in the lineup
C) all lineups include the actual culprit
D) foils in lineups should be included on the basis of the descriptions provided by witnesses

Question 5

Confabulation is associated with ______.

A) hypnosis
B) polygraph
C) cognitive interview
D) show-up identifications

Question 6

With regard to cognitive interviewing, ______.

A) recreating the context of the original event is extremely important
B) it is closed-ended and rather superficial in its approach
C) the witness is placed in a passive role
D) all of these

Question 7

When conducting interviews of witnesses, ______.

A) whenever possible, more than one witness should be interviewed together at the same time
B) it is often wise to let some time pass before interviewing most witnesses
C) investigators should provide feedback to witnesses to show that they are concerned for the witness
D) investigators should mostly use job-specific language and terms

Question 8

______ are usually non-accusatory and have the goal of developing information to move a criminal investigation forward.

A) Interviews
B) Interrogations
C) Lineups
D) Tip lines

Question 9

______ witnesses are individuals who have direct knowledge of the crime in question or of the suspected perpetrator of the crime.

A) Primary
B) Secondary
C) Lay
D) Expert

Question 10

______ involve bringing the suspect back to the scene of the crime or the location of the witness to see if the witness can identify the suspect as the perpetrator.

A) Mug shot books
B) Photo lineups
C) Live lineups
D) Show-up identifications

Question 11

______ is among the least reliable types of evidence yet is extremely persuasive in establishing proof.

A) DNA evidence
B) Eyewitness testimony
C) Fingerprint analysis
D) Voice stress analysis

Question 12

Human memory consists of three phases:

A) encoding, acquisition, and retrieval
B) storage, retention, and retrieval
C) absorption, filing, and retrieval
D) encoding, storage, and retrieval

Question 13

______ questions may distort the information retrieved from a witness's memory.

A) Leading
B) Direct
C) Vague
D) Suggestive

Question 14

The use of ______ involves the eyewitness viewing one lineup member at a time and determining whether or not that person is the perpetrator.

A) a video-recording lineup
B) a sequential lineup
C) a live lineup
D) a show-up identification

Question 15

______ is an altered state of consciousness that is characterized by increased responsiveness to suggestion.

A) Hypnosis
B) Cognitive interview
C) Retention
D) Encoding

Question 16

The most significant benefit of ______ is that it has been shown to be an effective tool in enhancing memory recall.

A) hypnosis
B) cognitive interviewing
C) retention
D) encoding

Question 17

______ requires more mental concentration on the part of the interviewee and requires more flexibility on the part of the interviewer.

A) Hypnosis
B) Cognitive interviewing
C) Retention
D) Encoding

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a basic rule associated with effective police interviews?

A) Witnesses should be separated and interviewed one at a time.
B) Interviews should be conducted away from distractions.
C) Interviews does not need to be conducted as soon as possible after the event.
D) It is important that investigators develop a rapport with witnesses.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a technique of cognitive interviewing?

A) The witness should concentrate through closing his/her eyes and breathing deeply.
B) The witness should retrieve the event only as he/she observed it.
C) The witness should be thorough in his/her memory search.
D) The witness must recreate the context of the original event, both physically and psychologically.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a problem associated with lineups?

A) The description provided may not actually be an accurate description of the perpetrator.
B) The perpetrator may have a unique feature not mentioned by the witness.
C) If the witness describes the perpetrator as having a unique characteristic, a lineup might not even be necessary.
D) Witnesses always describe perpetrators very accurately.

Question 21

Which stage of memory can be affected by the lighting conditions, distance, and obstructed views?

A) retention
B) encoding
C) retrieval
D) storage

Question 22

A ______ is a witness who has information about related events before or after the crime.

A) primary witness
B) secondary witness
C) eyewitness
D) lay witness

Question 23

What should NOT be avoided to encourage a thorough search of memory?

A) opening the interview with a request for factual details, instead of a more personal introduction
B) constantly checking the time
C) shutting the radio off to avoid interruptions
D) interrupting the witness

Question 24

What was not one of the types of evidence leading to the arrest of the suspect in the BP gas station robbery?

A) a photo line-up
B) the suspect turned himself in
C) a suspect description
D) DNA

Question 25

What is the weapon focus effect?

A) Perpetrators prefer using weapons for criminal activities.
B) Witnesses tend to focus on the presence of a weapon and therefore forget other important details.
C) Investigators mostly focus on weapons when looking for evidence.
D) If a weapon was used in a crime it is easier for investigators to figure out who the perpetrator was.

Question 26

The suspect in the BP gas station robbery was identified by witness testimony and physical evidence.

Question 27

Research shows that sketch artists almost always produce more-accurate facial images than technicians using other methods.

Question 28

One of the reasons that some police departments do not distribute composite pictures of suspects is that they may generate false leads and contribute to an unproductive investigation.

Question 29

Research shows that identifications from one-person lineups are less accurate than identifications from six-person lineups.

Question 30

Suspects have the right to counsel at show-ups as well as photo lineups.

Question 31

The foils in a lineup should be selected on the basis of how similar they look to the investigator who is most familiar with the case.

Question 32

False eyewitness identification is the primary cause of the conviction of innocent people.

Question 33

Statements made by other witnesses can affect a witness's retention of information. This highlights the importance of the police separating witnesses prior to interviewing them.

Question 34

There have been a multitude of Supreme Court cases that have limited the admission of eyewitness evidence in court.

Question 35

Most research has come to the conclusion that hypnotically elicited testimony is deficient, especially when leading questions are asked of witnesses.

Question 36

Investigators are placed in a very difficult situation if a witness describes the perpetrator as having a unique feature (a unique tattoo) that cannot be matched with other foils.

Question 37

Identify the advantages and disadvantages of show-up identifications.

Question 38

What is a relative-judgment process? Why is it dangerous in lineup situations?

Question 39

Identify the four guidelines for the collection of eyewitness identification evidence based on theories regarding human memory.

Question 40

What are some characteristics of witnesses that may affect the acquisition of information?

Question 41

Identify the stages of the memory process, and give examples of how factors at each stage may affect memory.