Question 1

Wisconsin's recommendations for improving police lineups include:
I. use fillers that will minimize any suggestiveness that might indicate the suspect.
II. use a "double blind" procedure.
III. instruct eyewitnesses that the real criminal may or may not be present in the lineup.
IV. present the suspect and the fillers simultaneously.

Accepted Answer

Wisconsin's recommendations for improving police lineups include using fillers to minimize suggestiveness (I), using a "double blind" procedure (II), and instructing eyewitnesses that the real criminal may or may not be present (III). Presenting the suspect and fillers simultaneously (IV) is not recommended as it can lead to relative judgment.

Question 2

The participants in most police lineups consist mainly of:

Accepted Answer

The participants in most police lineups consist mainly of police officers and inmates from the local jail.

Question 3

The main reasons for misidentification include:
I. the brain does not record accurately what the eye sees.
II. the police may use improper suggestive identification measures.
III. memory loss between the original event and the identification procedure.
IV. faulty recall

Accepted Answer

All the listed reasons contribute to misidentification: the brain's inaccurate recording of visual information, improper police identification methods, memory loss over time, and faulty recall.

Question 4

For which of the following situations will courts admit show-up identifications?
I. when witnesses accidentally confront suspects
II. in emergencies, when witnesses are hospitalized
III. for witness convenience, when witnesses are in a hurry
IV. when witnesses are not quite sure of a prior identification

Accepted Answer

Courts may admit show-up identifications when witnesses accidentally confront suspects or in emergencies, such as when witnesses are hospitalized, due to the necessity and practicality of the situation.

Question 5

Over time:

Accepted Answer

Over time, memory tends to fade, but witnesses often become more confident in their recollections, even if their memories are less accurate.

Question 6

Psychologists have studied three variables that are included in the Manson reliability test of eyewitness identification:
I. the eyewitness's opportunity to view the criminal
II. the amount of attention the witness paid to the criminal
III. expert testimony concerning the reliability of eyewitness identification
IV. the witness's confidence in the accuracy of their identification

Accepted Answer

The answer of Psychologists have studied three variables that are...

Question 7

Best guesses indicate that eyewitness misidentifications account for ______ percent of wrongful convictions of persons eventually exonerated by DNA.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Best guesses indicate that eyewitness misidentifications account...

Question 8

_________ lineups reduce the power of suggestion and reduce the possibility that the witness will pick the person who most resembles the perpetrator:

Accepted Answer

Sequential lineups present each potential suspect one at a time, allowing the witness to make a decision without being influenced by the presence of other individuals. This method reduces the power of suggestion and is more accurate in identifying the perpetrator. Simultaneous lineups, on the other hand, present all suspects at once and can make it difficult for the witness to accurately identify the perpetrator without being influenced by the presence of other individuals. Blind and photo lineups do not necessarily impact the power of suggestion.

Question 9

There is considerable evidence that people are poor at identifying:

Accepted Answer

Research on the phenomenon of "cross-race effect" or "other-race effect" has consistently found that people are less accurate in identifying faces of individuals from racial groups different from their own compared to faces of individuals from their own racial group. This suggests that people are poor at identifying members of another race.

Question 10

According to research conducted by Elizabeth Loftus, witnesses often added to their stories of crimes:

Accepted Answer

Elizabeth Loftus conducted research on eyewitness testimony and found that witnesses often added details to their stories based on suggestions made to them about what happened. This is known as the misinformation effect and highlights the malleability of memory, especially in response to external influences. The other choices (B, C, and D) may also be applicable in some situations, but they do not reflect the primary finding of Loftus's research.

Question 11

Suggestive lineups:

Accepted Answer

Suggestive lineups do not automatically exclude the identification made at them. However, they can be challenged during trial and may lead to a higher likelihood of misidentification.

Question 12

Research shows that jurors:

Accepted Answer

Jurors often overestimate the accuracy of eyewitness identifications, including those made during lineups, due to a common belief in the reliability of eyewitness testimony, despite research indicating its potential for error.

Question 13

______________ is when eyewitnesses are shown persons or objects and asked whether they are involved in the crime.

Accepted Answer

Recognition is the process of identifying or confirming whether a person or object is involved in the crime that the eyewitness observed. It is a type of memory retrieval where the person recognizes something previously encountered or learned. Recall, on the other hand, is the process of retrieving information from memory without any cues or prompts. Suggestion refers to when leading or suggestive questions or comments are made to an eyewitness which can cause them to alter their memory of the event. Retention refers to the ability to store and maintain information in memory over time.

Question 14

Researchers recommend that officials:

Accepted Answer

Presenting members of the lineup to the witness one at a time has been shown to reduce the rate of false identifications and increase the accuracy of identifications. This is because when presented with a group together, witnesses tend to choose the person who looks the most like the culprit, even if they are not actually the culprit. By presenting one at a time, the witness is forced to make their decision based solely on their memory of the perpetrator, rather than comparing the members to each other. The other options (A, B, and D) have all been shown to increase the risk of false identifications.

Question 15

Given the high risk of misidentification, courts _______ throw out eyewitness identification.

Accepted Answer

Courts rarely throw out eyewitness identification despite the high risk of misidentification, as such evidence is often considered compelling by juries and judges.

Question 16

Identification of a single suspect by a witness is called:

Accepted Answer

A show-up is when a witness is presented with a single suspect for identification, typically shortly after a crime has occurred.

Question 17

Experts theorize that the greatest threat to an innocent person being convicted is:

Accepted Answer

The mistaken identification of strangers is considered the greatest threat to an innocent person being convicted. Studies have shown that eyewitness identification can be unreliable due to various factors such as the length of time between the crime and the identification, the presence of a weapon, and the race of both the witness and the suspect. This can lead to innocent individuals being wrongfully convicted based on flawed eyewitness testimony.

Question 18

In eyewitness identification, the accuracy of initial impressions depends on the:
I. length of time the witness observed the stranger.
II. distractions taking place during the observation.
III. stress to the witness during the observation.
IV. race of the witness and race of the stranger.

Accepted Answer

All listed factors can influence the accuracy of eyewitness identification. The length of time, distractions, stress, and racial differences between the witness and the stranger can all affect how accurately a witness can identify a stranger.

Question 19

Which of the following are major procedures used by the police to help eyewitnesses identify suspects?
I. a confrontation
II. photo identification
III. a lineup
IV. a show-up

Accepted Answer

Photo identification, a lineup, and a show-up are standard procedures used by police for eyewitness identification. A confrontation is not typically a recognized procedure in this context.

Question 20

______________ refers to the perception of an event when information is first entered into a person's memory.

Accepted Answer

Acquisition refers to the process of initially learning and encoding information into memory.

Quiz 9: Plain View, Open Fields, Abandonment, and Border Searches