Question 1

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 defense attorney. What advice should the prosecutor accept?

Accepted Answer

A

Question 2

City police found that Mr. Caldwell, an eyewitness to a murder in a local bank, correctly remembered 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

B

Question 3

Research on false memories in children find that children

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that children have a harder time reliably distinguishing between real and false memories compared to adults. They also tend to be more confident in their memories, even when they are false. False memories can also be implanted in children more easily through suggestion or leading questions. However, this does not necessarily mean that children will make false accusations or lie about their memories.

Question 4

Research on the memories of young children indicates that they

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that young children are particularly vulnerable to misleading information, and can easily incorporate it into their memories of events. This is because they often lack the cognitive and language skills needed to accurately report events, and may be more likely to rely on suggestions or leading questions from adults or peers. As a result, their memories may become distorted or inaccurate, making them more susceptible to misinformation.

Question 5

Of the following eyewitnesses to a crime, who would probably appear most believable to a jury?

Accepted Answer

Randy's confidence and public speaking experience as a radio announcer likely make him appear more credible and convincing to a jury compared to the other options. Confidence can significantly impact perceived believability.

Question 6

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 7

The process of witnessing an event, receiving misleading information about it, and then incorporating the misleading information into one's memory of the event is referred to as the _______ effect.

Accepted Answer

The described scenario is a classic example of the misinformation effect, where individuals are exposed to post-event information that can distort or even create false memories of an event. False memory refers to a situation where a person recalls an event that did not happen, while the inoculation effect and interference refer to other memory phenomena.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Jurors often mistakenly believe that an eyewitness who can recall trivial details must be more reliable or accurate than one who remembers no details. However, research has shown that this is not necessarily true. The ability to recall trivial details may simply be a reflection of the individual's memory style or focus during the event, rather than their ability to accurately identify the culprit or recall important details. Nonetheless, jurors may be influenced by this perception and may assign greater credibility to eyewitnesses who can recall trivial details.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that presenting the witness's ability to remember trivial details can increase their credibility. The prosecutor should highlight this information to the jury to strengthen their case.

Question 10

Wells and his colleagues (2006) reported that it is the _______ eyewitnesses whom jurors find to be most believable.

Accepted Answer

According to Wells and his colleagues (2006), confident eyewitnesses are found to be most believable by jurors.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about eyewitness testimony is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The statement "Criminal cases lacking eyewitness testimony are more likely to produce convictions" is false. Without eyewitness testimony, other types of evidence such as physical evidence, DNA, and circumstantial evidence can still lead to convictions. In fact, some cases without eyewitness testimony may be stronger as eyewitness testimony can be unreliable.

Question 12

Morgan and his team found that when soldiers were asked to identify their intimidating interrogators from a 15-person lineup, they correctly identified their high-stress interrogator _____ of the time.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Morgan and his team found that when...

Question 13

At the University of Washington, Loftus (1979) found that eyewitnesses in a hypothetical robbery-murder case were influential

Accepted Answer

Loftus found that the eyewitnesses were still influential in the judgments made by the participants even when their testimony was discredited. This demonstrates the idea of the "halo effect," where once someone is perceived as credible or trustworthy, their testimony may continue to hold influence even if later discredited.

Question 14

After hearing a television report falsely indicating that drugs may have contributed to a recent auto accident, several eyewitnesses of the accident begin to remember the driver as traveling at a faster rate of speed than was actually the case. This provides an example of

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the scenario is the misinformation effect, in which exposure to false information can lead to a distortion of memories. In this case, the eyewitnesses' memories were influenced by the incorrect report on television, causing them to remember the speed of the car inaccurately.

Question 15

Research experiments by Wells and others (1979) show that incorrect eyewitnesses are believed _____ of the time.

Accepted Answer

Wells and others (1979) found that incorrect eyewitnesses are believed 80% of the time, making option D the correct answer. This highlights the potential for errors in eyewitness testimony, and the need for caution when relying on it as evidence in legal proceedings.

Question 16

The tendency for witnesses to incorporate misleading information into their memories is especially strong when

Accepted Answer

Suggestive questions can lead witnesses to incorporate misleading information into their memories, especially if the questions are repeated. This is known as the misinformation effect, and it can have a significant impact on the accuracy of witness testimony.

Question 17

Studies of eyewitness testimony indicate that

Accepted Answer

Jurors often give significant weight to eyewitness testimony, even if the eyewitness has poor eyesight, as they may not fully appreciate the impact of poor vision on the accuracy of the testimony.

Question 18

In the process known as the misinformation effect, individuals

Accepted Answer

In the misinformation effect, individuals receive wrong information about an event and then incorporate that information into their memory of the event, leading them to have false memories. This can happen even when the individual is not intentionally trying to give misleading testimony or withhold information.

Question 19

Loftus (1979) 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

Loftus (1979) found that even when an eyewitness was discredited, the majority of jurors still voted for conviction, indicating the strong influence of eyewitness testimony on juror decision-making.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is TRUE of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Numerous studies have shown that a witness who is confident about their identification is not necessarily more accurate. Eyewitness testimony can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as stress, emotions, and suggestibility, all of which can affect the accuracy of their memory. Therefore, it is important to consider other evidence and corroborating witnesses in addition to eyewitness testimony when evaluating a case.

Quiz 15: Psychological Disorders