The mother of a crime victim is angry with the police for taking so long to run DNA samples. She thinks it should be done before the end of the day, like on her favorite crime shows, and is surprised to hear that it could take months. She is exhibiting __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

a. Incorrect. Irrationality is the quality of being illogical or unreasonable. In this scenario, the mother may seem irrational but it is because she is experiencing the CSI effect. The CSI effect refers to the phenomenon in which the popularity of the television series CSI makes the public believe that crime labs in real life can operate at the speed they do in fiction.
b. Incorrect. It is not the modern forensic expectation that evidence will be processed as fast as seen on television in crime shows.
c. Correct. The CSI effect refers to the phenomenon in which the popularity of the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and other television shows and movies make the public and jurors believe that crime labs in real life can operate at the speed that they do in fiction.
d. Incorrect. Crime lab accreditation is designed to ameliorate some of the problems regarding mistakes made by crime labs. The Crime Laboratory Accreditation Program is a voluntary program in which any crime lab may participate to demonstrate that its management, operations, personnel, procedures, equipment, physical plant, security, and personnel safety procedures meet established standards.

The Mother of a Crime Victim Is Angry with the Police