Question 1

________ refers to the process by which people recall information stored in memory.

Accepted Answer

Retrieval refers to the process by which people recall information stored in memory. It involves accessing stored information and bringing it into conscious awareness. Retrieval can be affected by various factors, such as the strength of the memory trace, the presence of cues or prompts, and the individual's level of attention and motivation.

Question 2

Jake, a convenience store cashier, was extremely afraid when he was held up at gunpoint.The robbery took several minutes, there was little distance between him and the robber, and the lighting was good.Why is it that Jake had trouble remembering details about the crime?

Accepted Answer

The fear and emotional response Jake experienced during the robbery may have impeded his ability to process and encode information accurately, leading to difficulties in remembering details about the crime. This is a common response to traumatic events.

Question 3

Which of the following is a factor that can hinder an eyewitness's memory during the acquisition stage?

Accepted Answer

Poor lighting conditions can make it difficult for an eyewitness to perceive and encode important details about the event, which can hinder their memory during the acquisition stage.

Question 4

Kim witnessed a robbery that occurred over the course of an hour across a rather wide street at night.Which of the following is NOT a factor hindering Kim's acquisition of the event?

Accepted Answer

The duration of the event (an hour) would generally aid in acquisition, as it provides more time to observe details.

Question 5

When a crime happens quickly and under poor viewing conditions, what stage of memory processing is most likely to be hindered?

Accepted Answer

Acquisition refers to the process of taking in and encoding information. In the case of a crime happening quickly and under poor viewing conditions, the quality of the information being acquired is likely to be hindered.

Question 6

Which of the following is out of place?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is out of...

Question 7

If you were a prosecutor, what would you be most likely to do to convince the jury that the defendant is guilty?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you were a prosecutor, what would...

Question 8

Complete the analogy about memory processes.Retrieval: acquisition :: ________: ________.

Accepted Answer

The analogy compares the process of retrieving information from memory to acquiring it. Similarly, withdrawal is to deposit as retrieval is to acquisition, both involving taking out and putting in, respectively.

Question 9

The introduction to Social Psychology and the Law tells a true story about Randall Adams, who was falsely convicted of murdering a police officer, and who languished on death row for twelve years until he finally won his freedom.This introduction was designed to illustrate

Accepted Answer

The introduction is specifically focused on the unreliability of eyewitness testimony, using the example of Randall Adams' wrongful conviction. The other options may be valid concerns related to the legal system, but are not the main focus of the introduction.

Question 10

The authors of your text describe an incident in which a friend of theirs, Alan, found the body of an elderly neighbor.Despite obvious signs that she was murdered, Alan insisted that she died of old age.Why?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of confirmation bias, in which Alan's preconceived belief that the neighbor died of old age led him to ignore evidence that the neighbor was actually murdered. This type of bias can often lead people to overlook important information, even when it is presented to them.

Question 11

Four men have been indicted for robbing $20,000 from a bank.After the trial, the jury will be most likely to convict

Accepted Answer

The answer of Four men have been indicted for robbing...

Question 12

Sally was working the night shift at a convenience store.A man came in, pulled out a gun, and demanded that Sally give him all of the money in the cash register.When the police interview Sally about the crime, what would she be most likely to tell them?

Accepted Answer

Sally would be most likely to tell the police that the man wielded a gun, as it was the most significant and threatening aspect of the crime. The other details such as eye color, height, and clothing may be important for identifying the suspect later on, but the presence of a gun would be the most salient aspect of the incident.

Question 13

One reason why the legal process is an important application of social psychology is because

Accepted Answer

Prejudice and first impressions can influence the decision-making process of juries, affecting the outcome of legal cases. Social psychology helps to understand how these biases come into play and how they can be minimized or avoided, ultimately contributing to fairer and more just legal processes.

Question 14

Marvin was convicted of a robbery several years ago and has recently been exonerated based on DNA evidence.According to the authors of your text, which of the following is the most likely reason that he was falsely convicted?

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable and is often a leading factor in wrongful convictions. Despite the confidence with which eyewitnesses report their observations, research has shown that the accuracy of their memories and identifications can be influenced by a range of factors, including the quality of their viewing conditions, the length of time between the crime and the identification, and the presence of distractions or stress. Therefore, the most likely reason for Marvin's false conviction is likely to be related to eyewitness testimony rather than other factors such as race, gender, or legal representation.

Question 15

Margo was frightened and confused when a robber appeared at the convenience store where she works.It seemed that the only thing she could see was the gun he had pointed right in her face.Later, when Margo serves as an eyewitness, she may not be reliable because of problems she had at the ________ stage of memory processing.

Accepted Answer

Margo's reliability as an eyewitness may be compromised due to issues at the acquisition stage of memory processing, where her focus on the gun could have affected her ability to accurately perceive and encode other details of the event.

Question 16

You come home from work and find pieces of broken glass on the floor.You realize that your favorite vase was broken.Immediately you blame your new puppy, without even noticing that your toddler's teddy bear is lying on the floor near the broken glass.The fact that you didn't see the teddy bear is probably due to

Accepted Answer

The best choice is B, the schema that puppies are destructive. A schema is a mental framework that helps people organize and interpret information. In this case, the schema that puppies are destructive has influenced the person's perception of the situation, causing them to immediately blame the puppy without considering other possibilities. The other options are less applicable to this scenario. Poor vision or unconscious transference would not necessarily explain why the person overlooked the teddy bear, and source-monitoring errors typically refer to difficulties distinguishing between imagined and experienced events.

Question 17

________ refers to the process by which people store some-but not all-information from the environment in memory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ refers to the process by which...

Question 18

According to the authors of your text, the most common cause of an innocent person being convicted of a crime is that the

Accepted Answer

According to the authors of the text, the most common cause of an innocent person being convicted of a crime is that the eyewitness was incorrect. This is due to various factors such as faulty memory, suggestibility, and the influence of external factors. It is important to note that other factors such as police misconduct, false confessions, and inadequate legal representation can also contribute to wrongful convictions.

Question 19

According to the authors, accurate eyewitness identification results from a series of three stages:

Accepted Answer

The authors state that accurate eyewitness identification results from three stages: acquisition (taking in information), storage (retaining the information), and retrieval (accessing the stored information). These stages describe the process of memory and do not include elements such as attention or credibility, making options A and D incorrect. Option B includes acquisition and attention, but leaves out storage and retrieval, which are crucial for accurate identification.

Question 20

After an armed robbery, witnesses aren't often able to describe the culprit.Which of the following are most likely the reasons why?

Accepted Answer

Witnesses often struggle to describe culprits because the unexpected and frightening nature of an armed robbery can impair their ability to focus and recall details accurately.

Quiz 16: Social Psychology and the Law