Question 1

The authors assert that much of what happens in the legal system is decidedly social psychological in nature.Which of the following BEST supports this assertion?

Accepted Answer

Jurors' first impressions and attributions about the defendant are social psychological processes that can influence their decisions in the legal system, which supports the assertion that much of what happens in the legal system is social psychological in nature. The other options do not directly relate to social psychological processes in the legal system.

Question 2

Elena is a security guard.According to research presented in your text by Loftus and Harley (2005),in order for her to be as accurate as possible in terms of any crimes she may witness,it would be ideal to make sure that she is ________ suspects when crimes occur.

Accepted Answer

According to the research presented in the text by Loftus and Harley (2005), eyewitness identification accuracy decreases as the distance between the witness and the suspect increases. The ideal distance for accurate identification is within 7.5 metres. Therefore, Elena should be within 7.5 metres of suspects when crimes occur to be as accurate as possible.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Retrieval is the correct term for the process of recalling information stored in memory. Storage refers to the process of encoding and storing information in memory, recognition refers to the ability to identify previously encountered information, recovery is not a commonly used term in psychology, and acquisition refers to the initial process of learning new information.

Question 4

_______ 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 5

The introduction to Applied Module 3 (Social Psychology and the Law)tells a true story about Thomas Sophonow,who was falsely convicted of murdering a 16-year-old girl,and who waited in agony for more than 18 years before police reached the conclusion that he was not the killer.This introduction was designed to illustrate

Accepted Answer

The story of Thomas Sophonow is used to demonstrate the unreliability of eyewitness testimony, which played a crucial role in his false conviction.

Question 6

According to the authors,accurate eyewitness identification results from successful completion of these three stages:

Accepted Answer

The three stages mentioned are acquisition, storage, and retrieval, as these are the stages involved in the processing of memory that ultimately results in an eyewitness identification. Accuracy, confidence, credibility, attention, and memory are all important factors, but they are not the specific stages involved in the memory process.

Question 7

Based on research by Loftus and Harley (2005)presented in your text,when someone claims to have witnessed a crime a couple of blocks away (135 metres),how accurate are they likely to be when identifying the perpetrator?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that eyewitness identification accuracy significantly decreases with distance, and at 135 meters, it is extremely unlikely for a witness to accurately identify a perpetrator.

Question 8

Margo was frightened and confused when the 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, where the initial encoding of the event into memory is affected by her fear and confusion during the robbery.

Question 9

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 this was the most significant aspect of the crime and would likely be the most memorable detail for Sally. The other details, such as the man's physical appearance or clothing, may not have been as prominent or memorable in the situation.

Question 10

A recent research study by Loftus and Harley (2005)investigated how distance affects participants' ability to accurately identify a person.Results from this study showed that starting at a distance of ________,accuracy begins to decrease.

Accepted Answer

The study by Loftus and Harley (2005) found that accuracy in identifying a person begins to decrease at a distance of 7.5 metres.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness testimony is often considered strong evidence in court as it provides a direct account of the crime being committed by the defendant.

Question 12

_______ refers to the process by which people pay attention to information in the environment.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

When Loftus and Harley (2005)asked participants to try to identify a celebrity from 23 metres away,about ________ of participants were accurate.

Accepted Answer

Loftus and Harley (2005) found that about 25 percent of participants were accurate in identifying a celebrity from 23 meters away, demonstrating the challenges in accurately recognizing faces at a distance.

Question 14

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 probably is due to

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates an expectation bias, where the assumption that puppies are generally more destructive leads to immediately blaming the puppy without considering other potential causes, such as the toddler's involvement.

Question 15

Rod Lindsay and his colleagues (1981)staged a calculator theft witnessed by students.These students were videotaped as they were questioned about their eyewitness identifications and the videotapes were later viewed by students playing the role of jurors.These researchers found that the student jurors

Accepted Answer

The study found that student jurors tended to believe the eyewitnesses even when their identifications were inaccurate, highlighting the persuasive power of eyewitness testimony.

Question 16

According to the authors,considerable social psychological research has demonstrated that jurors tend to

Accepted Answer

The authors state that social psychological research has shown that jurors tend to overestimate the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

An eyewitness identification is often considered strong evidence in court, making it more likely for the jury to convict Cliff.

Question 18

An eyewitness testifies that she saw the defendant break into her neighbour's house.However,in cross-examination,the defense attorney points out that the crime took place at night,so it would have been hard to see.According to psychological research,what would a juror be most likely to do?

Accepted Answer

Psychological research suggests that jurors often give significant weight to eyewitness testimony, sometimes even when there are factors that could undermine its reliability, such as poor viewing conditions.

Question 19

Concerning eyewitness testimony,it is the belief of experts in the field that

Accepted Answer

There is extensive research indicating that mistaken eyewitness identification is a leading contributor to wrongful convictions. While memory processes can be fallible and influenced by various factors, it is not accurate to compare them to a videotape recording. Hypnosis is not considered a reliable method of retrieving information, and physical evidence can also have limitations and potential for error. Presenting suspect photographs simultaneously instead of sequentially is a recommended best practice, but it is not the most important factor to consider regarding eyewitness testimony.

Question 20

Rod Lindsay and his colleagues (1981)staged a calculator theft witnessed by students.In one experimental condition,it was relatively easy to identify the perpetrator; in another condition,it was only moderately easy to identify the perpetrator; in a third condition,it was very difficult to correctly identify the thief.When student witnesses were asked to pick the suspect out of a photo lineup,

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rod Lindsay and his colleagues (1981)staged a...

Quiz 15: Social Psychology in Action 3