Question 1

The social psychologist Tom Tyler identified three factors that shape our sense of procedural justice. Which of the following is NOT one of those three factors?

Accepted Answer

The three factors identified by Tom Tyler that shape our sense of procedural justice are the neutrality of the authority figure, trust in the system, and being treated with respect. The magnitude of the punishment is not one of the factors identified by Tyler.

Question 2

Research conducted by Hastie, Penrod, and Pennington tested whether juries deliberated cases differently based on whether they had to reach a unanimous decision or a majority decision. What did this research show?

Accepted Answer

The research conducted by Hastie, Penrod, and Pennington showed that juries who had to reach a unanimous decision deliberated longer than those who had to reach only a majority decision. Therefore, option A is incorrect. Option C is also incorrect as it presents the opposite of what the research found. Option D is also incorrect as there is no evidence in the question stem to suggest that juries who had to reach a majority decision were unable to reach a final verdict.

Question 3

Loftus and Pickrell persuaded the family members of college students to tell stories about when their student relative was five years old, including one "story" that was actually fake and never really happened. How did the students respond?

Accepted Answer

About 25 percent of the students "recalled" the fake event. This study demonstrates the phenomenon of false memories, where individuals can be led to remember events that never actually occurred.

Question 4

Research has shown that merely hearing the questions typically asked in the death-qualification part of jury selection tends to bias potential jurors toward conviction, because

Accepted Answer

The death-qualification questions contain an implication of guilt, which can bias potential jurors toward thinking of the suspect as guilty. This bias can affect their decision-making throughout the trial, even if they try to remain impartial.

Question 5

African Americans and Latinos are more likely to be stopped by police officers and receive harsher sentences. This bias in the criminal justice system is largely due to the

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that racial bias and cultural stereotypes play a significant role in the overrepresentation of African Americans and Latinos in the criminal justice system. For example, some officers may perceive African American or Latino individuals as more likely to be involved in criminal activity, leading them to initiate more frequent stops or arrests. Similarly, judges may be more likely to hand down harsher sentences to individuals from these groups based on preconceived notions about their behavior.

Question 6

Alan is on the jury for a theft-related crime. After hearing the evidence, Alan feels anger toward the defendant and a general sense of outrage. What types of attributions has Alan likely made about the defendant?

Accepted Answer

Alan's anger and general sense of outrage suggest that he has made dispositional attributions about the defendant, meaning he believes that the defendant intended to commit the crime and that this action reflects a stable part of their character. This is consistent with choice D.

Question 7

Tina is a defense attorney working on a grand larceny (i.e., stealing a large amount of money) case. Given what you know about jury selection concerns, who does Tina NOT want to be placed on the jury?

Accepted Answer

Lyn, a wealthy executive, may have personal bias or experience related to financial crimes and may be less sympathetic towards the defendant.

Question 8

We should be careful about trusting eyewitness accounts, because memory is

Accepted Answer

Memory is an active process that is influenced by a variety of factors like external information and personal biases. Therefore, eyewitness accounts may not always be reliable.

Question 9

Daniel is a district judge driven by the deterrence motive. What type of punishment is Daniel likely to favor in sentencing a defendant for a drug-related crime?

Accepted Answer

Deterrence motive in sentencing aims to prevent the defendant from committing the crime again, which aligns with placing the defendant in a rehabilitation program.

Question 10

Based on your reading, who is likely to receive the harshest sentence for drug possession?

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that African Americans and other minorities are more likely to face harsher sentences for drug offenses compared to their white counterparts. Therefore, Charles, an African American marketer from Philadelphia, is likely to receive the harshest sentence out of the given options.

Question 11

All of the following are true of death-qualified jurors EXCEPT they are more

Accepted Answer

Death-qualified jurors are actually found to be more trusting of police, so option D is the exception. The other options are all true of death-qualified jurors.

Question 12

Travis is part of a six-person jury on a money laundering case. Although the majority of jury members believe that the defendant is guilty, Travis believes that she did not do it. He tries to convince the others of his perspective. Why might Travis be more successful in making his case if he was part of a typical twelve-person jury, rather than this six-person jury?

Accepted Answer

With a larger group, Travis has a greater chance of finding an ally who shares his view, which can bolster his argument and potentially sway other members of the group. A larger group also provides more opportunities for discussion and debate, which can lead to a more thorough consideration of the evidence and a better understanding of each member's perspective. The other options do not necessarily provide an advantage to Travis in making his case.

Question 13

The textbook describes research conducted by Loftus and colleagues in which participants were shown pictures of an automobile accident and were asked questions about the pictures. Some participants were asked questions that were consistent with what they actually saw, but some participants were asked misleading questions. Which of the following best describes the results of this research?

Accepted Answer

The research by Loftus and colleagues found that misleading questions impaired participants' abilities to recall the pictures correctly. This demonstrates the phenomenon of the misinformation effect, where exposure to misleading information can alter memory recall.

Question 14

The goal of the ________ motive is to punish the deed that was committed; the goal of the ________ motive is to prevent future crimes.

Accepted Answer

The just desserts motive focuses on punishing the crime that was committed, based on the principle of retribution, while the deterrence motive aims to prevent future crimes by discouraging offenders and others from committing similar acts.

Question 15

In cases in which defendants are convicted and later proved innocent by DNA tests, as many as ________ had falsely confessed to the crime.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In cases in which defendants are convicted...

Question 16

Sheila, an attorney, worries that she will be unable to pick good jurors. Instead, she hires a specialist to conduct surveys and compile statistics on what demographic qualities of jurors might predict support for her client. Sheila is using ________ to pick her jury.

Accepted Answer

Sheila is using scientific jury selection, which is the process of using social science techniques to select favorable jurors or to guide attorneys in their use of peremptory challenges.

Question 17

Vanessa is part of a jury that has to make a unanimous decision to convict the defendant. Yemaya is part of a jury that can convict the defendant with a two-thirds majority rule. What is likely to differ across Vanessa's and Yemaya's juries?

Accepted Answer

Juries that require a unanimous decision, like Vanessa's, often take longer to reach a verdict because all members must agree. In contrast, Yemaya's jury, which can convict with a two-thirds majority, is likely to arrive at its verdict faster since it doesn't need full agreement.

Question 18

People's assessments of the fairness of processes leading to legal outcomes is called

Accepted Answer

The term that describes people's assessments of the fairness of processes leading to legal outcomes is procedural justice. Option A is incorrect because retribution perceptions are a person's belief about what is a fair punishment for a crime committed. Option C is incorrect because legal justice refers to the justice system as a whole. Option D is incorrect because bias perceptions are a person's belief that one party may have an unfair advantage in legal proceedings.

Question 19

Social scientists have differentiated two motives that determine preferences for different kinds of punishment. These motives are

Accepted Answer

The two motives that determine preferences for different kinds of punishment are just desserts and deterrence. Just desserts refer to the belief that the punishment should fit the crime, while deterrence refers to the belief that punishment should discourage future criminal behavior. These two motives often conflict with each other, as some punishments that may fit the crime may not be effective at deterring future criminal behavior, and vice versa.

Question 20

Eyewitness errors have been found to be involved in more than ________ percent of cases of wrongful convictions.

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness errors have been found to be involved in more than 50 percent of cases of wrongful convictions, highlighting the unreliability of eyewitness testimony in the criminal justice system.

Quiz 18: Application Module- Social Psychology and the Law