Question 1

Which of the following topics from the text is most pertinent to the case of David Milgaard, who was falsely convicted for a murder he did not commit?

Accepted Answer

The most pertinent topic from the text to David Milgaard's case is the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, as one of the main factors leading to his wrongful conviction was the unreliable identification of him by an eyewitness. The other topics may have played a role in the case, but they are not as directly linked to his wrongful conviction as the issue of eyewitness testimony.

Question 2

Lindsay, Wells, and Rumpel staged the same calculator theft under conditions that sometimes gave witnesses a clear view of the thief and sometimes didn't. When conditions were so poor that most witnesses misidentified an innocent person, _____ of the jurors believed the witness.

Accepted Answer

Research shows that even when conditions are poor and witnesses are likely to misidentify someone, more than half of jurors tend to believe the witness due to the perceived reliability of eyewitness testimony.

Question 3

For judges, among the factors to be considered in determining eyewitness accuracy is "the level of ____________ demonstrated by the witness."

Accepted Answer

The level of certainty demonstrated by the witness is an important factor in determining eyewitness accuracy. A witness who is highly certain about their identification is more likely to be considered reliable, while a witness who expresses doubts or changes their story may be considered less reliable.

Question 4

Research indicates that eyewitnesses who remember trivial details of a crime scene

Accepted Answer

Eyewitnesses who focus on trivial details of a crime scene may do so at the expense of paying attention to more crucial aspects, such as the culprit's face. This diversion of attention can lead to a decreased ability to accurately identify the perpetrator.

Question 5

Wells and his colleagues report that it's the ____________ eyewitness whom jurors find to be most believable.

Accepted Answer

According to Wells and his colleagues, jurors find confident eyewitnesses to be the most believable.

Question 6

A prosecuting attorney is uncertain whether her eyewitness will seem credible to the jury. The eyewitness's testimony could help win a conviction, but the witness might be discredited by the defence attorney. What advice should the prosecutor accept?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A prosecuting attorney is uncertain whether her...

Question 7

Of all criminal cases disposed of in Canadian courts, ________ in four never come to trial.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of all criminal cases disposed of in...

Question 8

City police find that Mr. Caldwell, an eyewitness to a murder in a local bank, correctly remembers many trivial details of the crime scene, including the specific time on the clock and the paintings on the wall. Research findings suggest that Mr. Caldwell's recall of trivial details means

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that when eyewitnesses remember trivial details, it is often associated with poorer accuracy in identifying the perpetrator, as their focus may have been on less relevant information.

Question 9

Brent is about to provide eyewitness testimony about a robbery he witnessed. If you were his lawyer, what instruction would you give him to appear most believable to the jury?

Accepted Answer

Appearing confident in his identification would show that Brent is sure of what he saw during the robbery and can persuade the jury to accept his testimony as believable. Dressing attractively or wearing glasses has no bearing on the credibility of the witness, and admitting to not remembering everything could be seen as a weakness in his testimony.

Question 10

Mistaken eyewitnesses tend to be less _____________ than accurate witnesses.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mistaken eyewitnesses tend to be less _____________...

Question 11

A Crown attorney learns that a crucial eyewitness to a grocery store robbery correctly remembers trivial details of the crime scene. If the Crown attorney hopes to convince the jury that the eyewitness is credible, research suggests

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that highlighting the witness's ability to remember trivial details can increase the witness's credibility in the eyes of the jury. Therefore, the Crown attorney should make the jury aware of this ability.

Question 12

Elizabeth Loftus found that eyewitnesses in a hypothetical robbery-murder case were influential

Accepted Answer

Loftus found that even when eyewitness testimony was discredited or shown to be inaccurate, it still had an impact on jury decisions. This phenomenon is known as the "belief perseverance" effect, where people hold on to their initial beliefs even in the face of contradicting evidence.

Question 13

Loftus found that when an eyewitness who had testified against the defendant in a hypothetical robbery-murder case was discredited because of having poor vision

Accepted Answer

Despite the eyewitness being discredited, the majority of jurors still voted for conviction, indicating the strong influence of eyewitness testimony.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about eyewitness testimony is false?

Accepted Answer

Eyewitnesses' certainty about what they have seen is not closely related to their accuracy. Confidence can be misleading, as confident witnesses are not necessarily more accurate.

Question 15

Wells, Lindsay, and their colleagues staged the theft of a calculator hundreds of times before eyewitnesses. In attempting to determine whether people could spot erroneous testimony, the researchers had mock jurors observe the eyewitnesses being questioned. Results indicated that the jurors believed correct eyewitnesses' _____ percent of the time and incorrect eyewitnesses' _____ percent of the time.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Wells, Lindsay, and their colleagues staged the...

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

Numerous studies have shown that eyewitnesses can be highly inaccurate, even when they are confident in their testimony. Factors such as stress, emotions, and suggestibility can all affect the accuracy of eyewitness identification.

Question 17

Although it goes against findings by social psychologists, a panel of judges declared that the level of ________________ by eyewitnesses should be taken into account when determining the accuracy of their testimony.

Accepted Answer

The level of certainty by eyewitnesses refers to how convinced they are in their testimony. Social psychologists have found that high levels of certainty do not necessarily equate to accurate memories or testimony. However, the panel of judges in this scenario is advocating for taking the level of certainty into account, despite these findings.

Question 18

One eyewitness testifies that the clock on the wall showed it was 2:35 when the robbery was committed. His identification of the suspect differs from another eyewitness, who didn't notice the clock at all. Is one witness likely to give a more accurate identification of the suspect than the other?

Accepted Answer

The answer of One eyewitness testifies that the clock on...

Question 19

The text identifies all of the following questions or topics as pertinent to both social psychology and the law except:

Accepted Answer

The text does not discuss the relationship between the judicial and legislative functions of government. It does, however, discuss the role of social psychology in understanding issues such as juror biases, eyewitness testimony, and juror comprehension of evidence.

Question 20

Jurors think that an eyewitness who can recall trivial details such as how many pictures were hanging in the room probably

Accepted Answer

Jurors generally think that eyewitnesses who remember trivial details are more credible than those who remember nothing. This is because it suggests that the witness was paying close attention to their surroundings and not distracted at the time of the crime.

Quiz 15: Social Psychology in Court