Deck 5: Violence Risk Assessment

Question 1

Which of the following is a reason that violence cannot be predicted accurately?

A) Violence is common.
B) Psychologists are uniquely qualified to assess risk.
C)C linical predictions of violence are inherently biased .
D) We have failed to identify any of the factors that lead to violence.

Answer 1

C linical predictions of violence are inherently biased .

Question 2

Which was not one of the four shortcomings of the first generation of research that Monahan 1988) identified?

A) Samples were too broad
B) Studies were poorly organized
C) Used poor predictors of violence
D) Poorly measured and define violence outcomes

Answer 2

Samples were too broad

Question 3

In _______________________ the United States Supreme Court ruled "that from a legal point of view there is nothing inherently unattainable about a prediction of future criminal conduct."

A) Schall v. Martin
B) Kansas v. Crane
C) O'Connor v. Donaldson
D) Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California

Answer 3

Schall v. Martin

Question 4

Which form of risk assessment was compared to flipping a coin?

A) Clinical
B) Actuarial
C) Structured
D) All of the above

Question 5

In risk assessment, the variables that are more likely to change with time are __________.

A) risk variables
B) static variables
C) dynamic variables
D) historical variables

Question 6

All of the following are reasons why it is difficult to predict violence or conduct research in risk assessment except ____________.

A) the high base rates of violence.
B) inconsistent definitions of violence.
C) failure to take into account the context of the violence.
D) the use of incarcerated offenders as the subjects of interest.

Question 7

________________ uses a standard framework or list of risk factors but allows for clinical judgment.

A) Clinical risk assessments
B) Actuarial risk assessments
C) Structured professional judgment
D) Posterior adjustments to risk assessment

Question 8

What is a major difference between first and third generations of studies in risk assessment?

A) The first generation utilizes a complicated mathematical approach.
B) There is a greater focus on general offender populations in the third generation.
C) The third generation includes denial of the importance of historical predictors.
D) The third generation includes identifying risk and contextual factors for actuarial or structured approaches in the third generation.

Question 9

All of the following are criticisms of the actuarial approach to risk assessment except _______________.

A) they are more prone to bias by the people who use them
B) they are not appropriate for use on individuals, only for groups
C) they lack generalizability outside of their original construction samples
D) actuarial instruments cannot account for the rare but important exceptions that occur to their statistical approaches

Question 10

Nomothetic refers to the __________________.

A) study of individual responses
B) examination of data from groups of people
C) use of multiple actuarial instruments to assess risk
D) clear failure of clinical approaches to account for individual differences

Question 11

Which statement most accurately describes the state of the risk assessment literature?

A) Actuarial approaches are clearly the most accurate form of risk assessment.
B) Clinical risk assessments are seen as the best approach because of their flexibility.
C) There is no clear consensus among forensic psychologists concerning the best approach.
D) The research clearly suggests that structure professional judgments encompass the advantages of clinical and actuarial approaches but none of the disadvantages.

Question 12

Which type of risk communication is viewed as more likely to indicate risk?

A) Descriptive
B)Frequency
C) Structured
D) Probability

Question 13

Which of the following is true of protective factors?

A) They interact with risk factors to reduce violence.
B) Protective factors are characterized by the absence of risk factors.
C) They are completely unnecessary in determining or assessing risk.
D) Protective factors guarantee an individual will not commit violence.

Question 14

Why is it important to understand that violence is a choice?

A) Violence tends to be rare.
B) The presence of free will is something total foreign to psychology.
C) The legal system does not routinely punish people for accidental acts.
D) Truly violent behavior is not related to mental illness or a lack of control.

Question 15

The _____________ was one of the first actuarial instruments used to assess risk.

A) VRAG
B) COVR
C) HCR-20
D) Domestic Violence Risk Appraisal Guide

Question 16

Why was the decision in Barefoot v. Estelle important for forensic psychology?

A) It permitted psychologists to testify in insanity cases.
B) It encouraged forensic psychologists to perform risk assessments.
C) It was the first case in which an amicus curiae brief was ever submitted.
D) It accepted the notion that predictions of behavior necessitate a deterministic view of human behavior.

Question 17

When are forensic psychologists good at predicting violence?

A) When base rates for violence are low
B) When they are making long-term predictions
C) When they have knowledge of the person's past violence
D) When an offender is being released into a stressful environment

Question 18

Which of the following scenarios are forensic psychologists going to have the most difficulty assessing risk?

A) A physically abusive relationship
B) An emotionally abusive relationship
C) An assault by a mentally ill individual
D) An assault by a convicted sexual offender

Question 19

Risk management differs from risk assessment in what manner?

A) Risk assessment is never dynamic.
B) Risk assessment is more scientific and empirically validated.
C) Risk management is more likely to focus on less severe violence.
D) Risk management entails multiple administrations of violence prediction.

Question 20

Which of the following is not one of the different facets of assessing risk according to Hart 2005)?

A) Nature
B) Choice
C) Likelihood
D) Imminence

Question 21

How is the term base rate defined in risk assessment?

A) the frequency of violence
B) the type of violence perpetrated
C) the method of communicating violence
D) by the nature of the instrument used to asses violence

Question 22

A clinical diagnosis of a major mental disorder is an example of a _________ factor in risk assessments.

A) static
B) dynamic
C) psychological
D) nomothetic

Question 23

(Scurich and John 2012) conclude that the form of risk communication should depend on the __________ .

A) judge
B) context
C) type of violence
D) experience of the psychologist

Question 24

What were some of the important legal cases in the development of risk assessments? What was the contribution of each?

Question 25

The coffee can approach to risk assessment research may suggest that ____________.

A) clinical risk assessments are superior
B) no risk assessment measure is completely unique
C) research supports the use of psychologists as experts
D) actuarial risk assessment instruments are superior

Question 26

What is the difference between clinical risk assessments, actuarial risk assessment instruments, and structured professional judgments?

Question 27

Compare and contrast the three generations of risk assessment.

Question 28

Define static and dynamic risk factors and state the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Question 29

Upon hearing the accuracy of future dangerousness predictions, the Supreme Court _____________.

A) deemed it inadmissible in court
B) became more critical of experts testifying on the issue
C) continued to encourage this type of expert testimony
D) was enthused and requested that more assessments be created

Question 30

A negative attitude is an example of a _________ factor in risk assessments.

A) static
B) dynamic
C) psychological
D) nomothetic

Question 31

In Barefoot v. Estelle, the American Psychiatric Association filed an amicus curiae regarding the validity and reliability of predictions of future dangerousness, stating an accuracy rate of about ______.

A) 30%
B) 45%
C) 60%
D) 80%

Question 32

What are the differences between risk assessment and risk management?

Question 33

Research suggests that psychologists prefer to communicate risk in terms of ___________.

A) probabilities
B) frequencies
C) categories
D) percentages

Question 34

The nature of risk management is primarily focused on _________ factors.

A) static
B) dynamic
C) psychological
D) nomothetic