Multiple choice Essay Example

System variables are:

• a)  Factors that influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, but are not under 
the control of the criminal justice system. 


• b)  Factors that influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony and are under the 
control of the criminal justice system. 


• c)  Both a) and b). 


Witnesses are more likely to make absolute judgements when presented with:

• a)  Sequential identification parades. 


• b)  Simultaneous identification parades. 


• c)  Neither a) or b). 


1. Coerced-compliant false confessions are provided by a person:

• a)  When they come to believe they likely committed the offence. 


• b)  Who committed the offence. 


• c)  To avoid aversive conditions or gain a favourable outcome. 


• d)  In the absence of any external pressure by the police. 


• e)  None of the above. 


1. Conversation management is a technique for use with:

• a)  Cooperative witnesses only. 


• b)  Cooperative persons of interest only. 


• c)  Uncooperative witnesses only. 


• d)  Uncooperative persons of interest only. 


• e)  Uncooperative witnesses and uncooperative persons of interest. 


Which of the following procedures have been found to increase the suggestibility of child witnesses and decrease the accuracy of their accounts?

a)  Direct questions.

b)  Use of non-verbal techniques (e.g., the use of anatomically detailed dolls).

• c)  Repeated questions. 


d)  Use of stereotypes. 


e)  All of the above. 


1. Which of the following procedural safeguards has been shown to increase bias?

• a)  Voir dire. 


• b)  Continuance. 


• c)  Neither a) or b). 


The influence of inadmissible evidence is:

• a)  Greater when it favours the defence. 


• b)  Greater when it favours the prosecution. 


• c)  Equivalent irrespective of whether is favours the defence or the prosecution. 


In the context of eyewitness testimony, validity refers to the ability of a witness to:

• a)  Consistently identify the person of interest as the perpetrator of a crime. 


• b)  Make an identification on the basis of their memory of the perpetrator of the 
crime. 


• c)  Neither a) or b). 


1. Estimator variables are:

• a)  Factors that influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, but are not under 
the control of the criminal justice system. 


• b)  Factors that influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony and are under the 
control of the criminal justice system. 


• c)  Both a) and b). 


Witnesses are more likely to make relative judgements when presented with:

• a)  Sequential identification parades. 


• b)  Simultaneous identification parades. 


• c)  Neither a) or b). 


Repression is the:

• a)  Unconscious ‘removal’ of memories for past events. 


• b)  Genuine forgetting of past events. 


• c)  Conscious non-reporting of past events. 


• d)  Purposeful fabrication of past events that did not occur. 


• e)  None of the above. 


Coerced-internalised false confessions are provided by a person:

• a)  When they come to believe they likely committed the offence. 


• b)  Who committed the offence. 


• c)  To avoid aversive conditions or gain a favourable outcome. 


• d)  In the absence of any external pressure by the police. 


• e)  None of the above. 


The cognitive interview is a technique for use with:

• a)  Uncooperative witnesses only. 


• b)  Uncooperative persons of interest only. 


• c)  Uncooperative witnesses and uncooperative persons of interest. 


• d)  Cooperative witnesses only. 


• e)  Cooperative persons of interest only. 


1. Schemas are:

• a)  Cognitive systems that help organise and make sense of information. 


• b)  Generalisations about members of social groups that are often prejudicial. 


• c)  Neither a) or b). 


Which method of jury research is the most internally valid?

• a)  Case studies. 


• b)  Shadow jury studies. 


• c)  Mock jury studies. 


The influence of pretrial publicity is:

• a)  Greater when it favours the defence. 


• b)  Greater when it favours the prosecution. 


• c)  Equivalent irrespective of whether is favours the defence or the prosecution. 


The representative heuristic is indicative of a tendency to:


a) Believe others think as we do.

b) Ignore base rate data in favour of more prominent information.

• c) Believe the more similar an individual is to typical members of a category, the more likely the individual belongs to the category.

d) None of the above. 


1. The fundamental attribution error:

a) Is a self serving bias.

b) Is an attributional bias where our own success might be attributed to dispositional characteristics and the success of others might be attributed to situational characteristics.

• c) Is an attributional bias where dispositional causes are overestimated and situational causes are underestimated.

d) None of the above.

20. Judicial decision making is less prone to personal bias and prejudice.