Question 1

The following are some troubling issues with applying the Manson criteria when evaluating the accuracy of an eyewitness's identification. Which one of these statements is INCORRECT?

Accepted Answer

The Manson criteria, which are used to evaluate the reliability of eyewitness identifications, do not rely on survey measures developed by psychologists. Instead, they are based on legal standards and considerations, including factors like the eyewitness's opportunity to view the perpetrator, the eyewitness's level of attention, the accuracy of the eyewitness's prior description of the criminal, the degree of certainty demonstrated by the eyewitness, and the time between the crime and the identification.

Question 2

According to the text, psychological studies find that eyewitness testimony:

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness testimony is often considered reliable by the general public and the legal system, but psychological studies have shown that it is more fallible than commonly believed. Factors such as memory distortion, stress, and suggestive questioning can significantly affect the accuracy of eyewitness accounts.

Question 3

In addition to issues with memory in general, other things can introduce biases. Studies show that interference can take place during the process of identification of a suspect: Witnesses may feel more certain about their memory of an event or perpetrator as a result of _____ and _____.

Accepted Answer

Biased questioning and lineup procedures can introduce biases in witnesses, making them more certain of their memories. Biased questioning can lead witnesses to remember events in a way that aligns with the bias, and lineup procedures can influence how a witness identifies a suspect, both of which can distort the accuracy of their memory.

Question 4

Cross-racial identifications are generally _____ accurate _____ same-race identifications.

Accepted Answer

Cross-racial identifications are generally less accurate than same-race identifications due to the cross-race effect, where people have a harder time recognizing faces of races other than their own.

Question 5

The Manson criteria, emphasized by courts, consist of five factors to be taken into account when evaluating eyewitness identification accuracy. Which criterion is the most problematic one, according to the text?

Accepted Answer

The witness's degree of certainty has been found to be problematic because it can be influenced by factors unrelated to the accuracy of the memory, such as feedback from law enforcement or the passage of time, leading to overconfidence in inaccurate memories.

Question 6

The fact that eyewitness testimony is so powerful in influencing jurors is only a problem if:

Accepted Answer

The main issue with the power of eyewitness testimony arises when the witness is mistaken, as this can lead to wrongful convictions or influence the jury's decision based on inaccurate information.

Question 7

_____ is the part of the memory process that involves accessing and pulling out stored information at a later time.

Accepted Answer

Retrieval is the process of accessing and pulling out information that has been previously stored in memory.

Question 8

Wrongful convictions have been shown to result from faulty eyewitness testimony _____ from any other type of evidence.

Accepted Answer

Faulty eyewitness testimony has been shown to lead to wrongful convictions more often than any other type of evidence, highlighting the unreliability of human memory in legal contexts.

Question 9

Peter was able to pick a guy who looked like his assailant out of a _____. When he was told that this was very helpful to the detectives working the case, Peter felt _____ certain that he remembered his attacker well.

Accepted Answer

Picking someone out of a lineup who looks like the assailant and being told it's helpful would likely make Peter feel even more certain about his memory of the attacker, fitting the context of increasing confidence.

Question 10

Eyewitness testimony is very important in court trials. In fact, it is often crucial because it is likely to be:

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness testimony is often considered compelling because jurors tend to give significant weight to personal accounts, even though such testimony can be fallible.

Question 11

Sabrina works as a bank teller. When one of the customers pointed a gun at her and demanded that she give him the key to the safe deposit box, she was so frightened that she could barely move. After the customer got the key, Sabrina was told to raise her hands and stand with her face into the wall for the rest of the time the bank robbery was unfolding. About 30 seconds passed between the time when Sabrina first saw the customer and the time she was told to turn to the wall with her hands raised. When recalling the event, she is likely to estimate that 30-second time period to have lasted about:

Accepted Answer

High-stress situations, like the one Sabrina experienced, tend to distort our perception of time. People often perceive time as moving more slowly during such events, leading them to overestimate the duration of the event.

Question 12

Even though the Supreme Court _____ the Manson framework, several states continue to _____ criteria established in Manson.

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court refused to amend the Manson framework, but several states continue to reexamine the outdated criteria established in Manson.

Question 13

Studies have analyzed wrongful conviction cases that were later overturned because DNA testing proved the wrongfully convicted person innocent. Of the following major causes of wrongful convictions, which one is found to be the most prevalent?

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness misidentification has been found to be the most prevalent cause of wrongful convictions in cases that were later overturned due to DNA evidence. This is largely because human memory can be unreliable and easily influenced by various factors, leading to incorrect identifications.

Question 14

Individuals often _____ the duration of a brief event, especially if it is a(n) _____ event.

Accepted Answer

Individuals tend to overestimate the duration of brief events when they are stressful, likely due to the heightened emotional and physiological responses associated with stress, which can alter the perception of time.

Question 15

_____ is the term used to describe the biochemical representation of our experiences within the brain, which are known to deteriorate over time.

Accepted Answer

Memory trace refers to the biochemical representation of our experiences within the brain, which can deteriorate over time. This concept is central to understanding how memories are formed, stored, and eventually may fade.

Question 16

In the reconstruction of memory, it is not uncommon to find that distortions may take place at any stage. The following statement about this process is INCORRECT:

Accepted Answer

Various sounds encoded during memory formation are not necessarily the easiest part to retrieve. The ease of retrieval can depend on many factors, including the individual's memory processing abilities, the context of the memory, and the type of information. Visual or emotional aspects of a memory, for example, might be more salient or easier to retrieve for some people.

Question 17

The tendency of people to be better able to recognize faces of those within their own racial group than those outside their racial group is referred to as the _____ effect.

Accepted Answer

The cross-race effect, also known as the other-race effect, refers to the phenomenon where individuals are generally better at recognizing faces of their own racial group compared to faces from different racial groups.

Question 18

According to research by Penrod & Cutler (1999), estimates of time during the course of a stressful event are _____ the actual length of the event.

Accepted Answer

Estimates of time during the course of a stressful event are three to four times the actual length of the event.

Question 19

The maintenance of information over time within the brain is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Storage is the correct term for maintaining information over time within the brain. It refers to the phase of memory where information is held for future use.

Question 20

Lapses of attention are most likely to affect which stage of the process of memory work?

Accepted Answer

Encoding is the process of transforming perceptions, thoughts, and feelings into memory. If attention lapses during this initial stage, the information may not be effectively encoded into memory, making it difficult to recall later.

Quiz 7: Eyewitness Identification and Testimony

The following are some troubling issues with applying the Manson criteria when evaluating the accuracy of an eyewitness's identification. Which one of these statements is INCORRECT?

According to the text, psychological studies find that eyewitness testimony:

In addition to issues with memory in general, other things can introduce biases. Studies show that interference can take place during the process of identification of a suspect: Witnesses may feel more certain about their memory of an event or perpetrator as a result of _ and _.

Cross-racial identifications are generally _ accurate _ same-race identifications.