Psychology and Law Study Guide
Questions
Course Introduction
This course explores the intersection between psychology and the legal system, examining how psychological theories and research inform legal processes, practices, and policies. Students will analyze topics such as eyewitness testimony, jury decision-making, mental health law, criminal behavior, interrogations, competency, and the assessment of intent and responsibility. The course also covers how biases, cognitive processes, and social influences impact legal actors including judges, lawyers, victims, and defendants. By integrating psychological principles with real-world legal issues, students gain a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in achieving justice and developing effective legal interventions.
Recommended Textbook
Introduction to Forensic Psychology Research and Application 5th Edition by Curtis R. Bartol
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13 Chapters
877 Verified Questions
877 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Forensic Psychology
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Sample Questions
Q1) The majority of new psychology doctorates are employed in ______ settings.
A) government
B) business
C) private practice
D) human service
Answer: D
Q2) Differentiate between the broad and narrow definitions of forensic psychology. Why is it important to distinguish between these two definitions?
Answer: The narrow definition may be too restrictive because it seems to imply a specialty called "forensic clinical psychology." It excludes clinicians who perform corrections-related tasks. The broad definition includes not only clinicians (also called practitioners) but also social, developmental, counseling, cognitive, experimental, industrial-organizational, and school psychologists-some but not all of whom are clinicians. The American Psychology-Law Society endorses a broad definition.
Q3) Forensic psychology was first recognized as a specialty in 2008.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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3
Chapter 2: Police and Public Safety Psychology
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Sample Questions
Q1) The rules, attitudes, beliefs, and practices that are thought to be accepted among law enforcement officers as an occupational group are known as ______.
A) operational support
B) police culture
C) candidate screening
D) psychological assessment
Answer: B
Q2) Compare and contrast screening-out and screening-in.
Answer: Screening-out procedures try to eliminate those applicants who appear to be poorly suited for work in law enforcement. Screening-out procedures are those most commonly used by police psychologists when screening police candidates. Screening-in procedures, on the other hand, are intended to identify those attributes that distinguish one job applicant as being potentially a more effective officer than another. Implicit in this approach is the ability to rank-order applicants, allowing agencies to select the top candidates from a pool that passed the initial screening procedures. This approach assumes that there are traits, habits, reactions, and attitudes that distinguish an outstanding officer from a satisfactory one.
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Chapter 3: Psychology of Investigations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain the two major theoretical perspectives for explaining the effects of hypnosis. How can hypnosis be most helpful in investigations?
Answer: Hypnotic trance theory assumes that hypnosis represents a special state of consciousness that promotes a high level of suggestibility and changes in bodily experiences. Under this special state, the hypnotized person may be able to do things that he or she could not do under a normal state of consciousness. The theory contends that the deeper the "hypnotic trance," the more intense, detailed, and vivid a scene becomes to the participant. The cognitive behavioral viewpoint contends that respondents are not in a special state of consciousness when they appear hypnotized. Hypnosis is a product of certain attitudes, motivations, and expectancies toward the "hypnotic state"-not a "true" alteration of consciousness. It is a good investigative technique and can be a useful tool in conjunction with standard investigative procedures.
Q2) Actuarial predictions are based on statistical probability and data rather than subjective experience.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: Consulting and Testifying
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Sample Questions
Q1) Substance abuse and unemployment are examples of ______ risk factors.
A) dynamic
B) static
C) actuarial
D) instrumental
Q2) Which of the following is a primary difference between a lay witness and an expert witness?
A) A lay witness testifies under oath, whereas an expert witness does not.
B) A lay witness can be videotaped, whereas an expert witness cannot.
C) An expert witness can offer an opinion, whereas a lay witness cannot.
D) An expert witness must answer the ultimate issue question, whereas a lay witness does not.
Q3) The empirical literature has consistently supported the superiority of ______ data over ______ data.
A) clinical; antecedent
B) clinical; actuarial
C) actuarial; antecedent
D) actuarial; clinical
Q4) How did the death of Justice Antonin Scalia result in a higher workload for many federal courts?
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Chapter 5: Consulting With Criminal Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the typical criminal case where competency is in question, ______.
A) at least three competency evaluations are performed
B) at least two evaluations are conducted by different clinicians
C) the judge agrees with the recommendation made by the clinician
D) the offender is released while the assessment is being conducted
Q2) Which type of sentencing attempts to make the punishment fit the crime?
A) dominant
B) determinant
C) intermittent
D) indeterminate
Q3) Which federal law sets the standard for determining insanity in federal courts?
A) the IDRA
B) the Durham Rule
C) the EEDIA
D) the Dusky Rule
Q4) Restoration to competency must be done in an institution.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What do Theodore Kaczynski and Colin Ferguson have in common? How does Indiana v. Edwards (2008) pertain to both men?
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Chapter 6: Family Law and Other Forms of Civil Litigation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Family courts today do not handle juvenile delinquency proceedings.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which statement accurately summarizes research findings on the effects of divorce on children?
A) Sole custody is the optimal custody arrangement for both parents and children.
B) Children are best served when they have strong and healthy relationships with both parents.
C) The financial standard of living rises precipitously for most children following divorce.
D) Most children of divorced parents are resilient and show no long-term negative effects from the experience.
Q3) What is the standard of proof for most civil cases?
A) beyond a reasonable doubt
B) preponderance of evidence
C) clear and convincing evidence
D) nolo contendere
Q4) Who is Kendra Webdale? How does she pertain to concepts in the chapter?
Q5) Compare and contrast gender harassment and sexual harassment.
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Chapter 7: The Development of Delinquent and Criminal Behavior
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which term refers to a cluster of traits characterized by high impulsivity, egocentricity, lack of empathy, and deficits in emotional expression?
A) impulsivity-egocentricity
B) conduct disorder
C) callous-unemotional
D) inconsistent regulation
Q2) Research suggests that all of the following are motives for juvenile firesetting EXCEPT ______.
A) a wish to get back at authority
B) a need for excitement
C) a drive to harm others
D) a desire for status
Q3) Which answer choice illustrates a reason that the juvenile psychopath label is so controversial?
A) The label has many negative connotations.
B) Juveniles labeled as psychopaths are more likely to be sentenced to death.
C) Juveniles labeled as psychopaths are more likely to have poor interpersonal skills.
D) Signs and symptoms of psychopathy are typically evident before birth.
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Chapter 8: Psychology of Violence and Intimidation
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the text, human violence is ultimately a ______ behavior.
A) transitional
B) persistent
C) static
D) learned
Q2) The most common role of forensic psychologists who work in an employment setting involves de-escalating rampage shooters.
A)True
B)False
Q3) According to criminal law, murder and manslaughter are the two major levels of criminal homicide.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The UCR's murder rate is based on ______.
A) police investigations
B) coroners' reports
C) court determinations
D) medical examiner reports
Q5) What are the two dominant explanations for gender discrepancies in violent offending?
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Chapter 9: Psychology of Sexual Assault
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which typology of child molesters is most commonly used by law enforcement investigators?
A) MTC:R3
B) MTC:CM3
C) Groth
D) Vandiver and Kercher
Q2) Pedophilia is a crime.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Define psychosexual evaluation.
Q4) Groth's immature child molester is most similar to the MTC system's ______ type.
A) sadistic
B) high-fixated
C) regressed
D) interpersonal
Q5) Discuss the role that rape myths play in sexual assault.
Q6) Discuss the relationship between alcohol and date or acquaintance rape. Why could this relationship be controversial for victims?
Q7) List the six types of female sex offender as outlined by Vandiver and Kercher (2004).
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Chapter 10: Forensic Psychology and the Victims of Crime
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most Internet-initiated sex crimes consist of adult men who use the Internet to meet and entice underage teenagers into sexual meetings.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which group has been disproportionately represented among homicide victims?
A) older, Hispanic females
B) young, Black males
C) older, American Indian females
D) young, White males
Q3) Summarize the research on homicides of young children.
Q4) Paroline v. United States (2014) pertained to ______.
A) proper death notification
B) legal rights of victims
C) juvenile sexual assault
D) commercial sexual exploitation of children
Q5) Which term best defines trafficking?
A) exploitation
B) personalization
C) border
D) movement
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Chapter 11: Family Violence and Child Victimization
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to research by Patihis et al. (2014), which group was the most skeptical about the recovery of repressed memories?
A) college undergraduates
B) college graduates
C) practicing mental health clinicians
D) experimental psychologists
Q2) Discuss three limitations of human memory.
Q3) The majority of victims of Munchausen syndrome by proxy are teenage girls.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The human cognitive system is unlimited in its information processing capacity and has a unique ability to simultaneously attend to everything going on in the environment.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The term memory wars refers to the reliability of ______.
A) dream analysis
B) transferred hypnosis
C) repressed memories
D) infantile amnesia
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Chapter 12: Correctional Psychology in Adult Settings
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an example of self-directed violence?
A) homicide
B) solitary confinement
C) electronic monitoring
D) suicide
Q2) Which service are psychologists most likely to perform in jail?
A) substance abuse treatment
B) chronic disease prevention
C) AIDS education
D) crisis intervention
Q3) Which industrialized country has the highest incarceration rate?
A) Australia
B) United States
C) Canada
D) United Kingdom
Q4) Discuss the characteristics of prison that negatively affect therapeutic success in prisons. What factors, if any, may enhance therapeutic success?
Q5) Probationers represent the majority of offenders under community supervision.
A)True
B)False
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Juvenile Justice and Corrections
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Sample Questions
Q1) The goal of the Homebuilders model is to prevent the out-of-home placement of children through intensive, on-site intervention, and to teach families new problem-solving skills.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Val is a 16-year-old depressed female who has been placed in juvenile detention following her arrest for a property offense. How will Val's depression likely manifest?
A) She will be sad and withdrawn.
B) She will be irritable and hostile.
C) She will manipulate her treatment team.
D) She will try to run away from the facility.
Q3) It is recommended that attorneys who work with juveniles should receive training in ______ psychology.
A) experimental
B) social
C) developmental
D) rehabilitative
Q4) Describe the process of juvenile sex offender assessment. Why is assessment of sex offenders controversial?
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