Ethics in Forensic Science Final Study Guide
C
Communication at the crime scene is important for all of the following EXCEPT: A) everyone needs to know their role at the crime scene B) allows lab personnel to get a clear picture of the crime scene & evidence as it was discovered C) to ensure that all personnel working the case agree on the same theory D) to maintain good records since some cases may take years to go to court E) none of the above (Chapter 5)
E
False positives lead to which of the following? A) Type II Errors B) False negatives C) Type I Errors D) An innocent person being falsely incriminated E) both C & D (Chapter 5)
E
If a jury is given quantitative (shows how much) figures in court, which of the following numbers would give them less certainty about the actual value? A) 83.5% +/- 2.5% B) 80.6% C) 66.5 +/- 1.5% D) 70.0% E) both B & D (Unit B Exam)
C
If an expert has prior knowledge of the case or an association with people involved, & the outcome may directly impact the expert financially, or the relationship with another expert may impact the case, this is an example of: A) conflict of conscious B) adversary conflict C) conflict of interest D) fraud E) all of the above (Chapter 3)
C
In the Duke LaCrosse team case study, which of the following were not a major issue of misconduct? A) personal gain B) abuse of power C) evidence tampering D) neglected duty E) showed bias (Chapter 3)
B
In the Harry Snyder & Renee Snyder case study, the major area of misconduct cited was: A) plagiarism B) conflict of interest C) abuse of the peer review process D) junk science E) falsifying data (Unit B Exam)
C
In the case study of Barry Logan, which issue ultimately led to his resignation? A) dry-labbing B) perjury on the stand C) lab manager signing off on cases without reviewing them D) a cover-up of unethical practices to "save face" E) all of the above (Chapter 7)
D
In the case study of Colleen Rowley, who was a former FBI staff attorney, which of the following was an issue that caused the whistle-blowing? A) the FBI ignored requests from a field office to investigate a 9/11 co-conspirator. B) the FBI overlooked vital clues & withheld data. C) Rowley tried to deal with the problem in-house, but the details of her report were leaked to the public. D) all of the above. E) both A & C (Unit B Exam)
fear
In the case study of David Petersen, after his initial misconduct of stealing drugs, ___________ became a powerful motivator for further unethical behavior. (Chapter 1)
E
In the case study of Joyce Gilchrist, what ultimately led to her unethical behavior? A) inadequate training B) lack of a mentor C) incomplete lab notes/tests D) being the "yes-woman" & always coming up with the right answer for attorneys E) all of the above (Unit B Exam)
adrenaline
In the case study of Kathleen Lundy, she admitted to suffering from the __________________ factor, which led her to make statements beyond her reasonable certainty. (Chapter 2)
B
Information published on a given project should include all EXCEPT which of the following? A) potential conflicts of interest B) materials & methods written in a vague way to prevent plagiarism/copycats C) data D) sources of funding E) both A & D (Unit B Exam)
Good Action/Bad Consequence
Jake, a crime scene analyst, recently accepted a drug chemist position in a lab. His friend Matt, who was already a drug chemist, had recommended Jake for the open position. After a few months in his new job, Jake began to steal small amounts of drugs from evidence for personal use. In relation to Matt, this is an example of: (Unit A Exam)
D
Public servants who act in the interest of the state & because of the rules of discovery, have no responsibility for confidentiality. A) defense attorney B) police officer C) forensic scientist D) prosecutor E) all of the above (Unit A Exam)
C
Some of the developments in the field that should NOT have an impact on ethical codes include: A) DNA profiling B) the War on Drugs C) Global Positioning Systems D) specialization E) computerized databases (Unit A Exam)
E
The functions codes of ethics serve include: A) educating new members B) narrowing problem areas C) potentially reducing the number of regulations imposed D) providing a starting point for scrutiny over issues in the field E) all of the above (Chapter 8)
D
The intellectual virtues of science include: A) loyalty B) patience C) justice D) wisdom E) all of the above (Unit B Exam)
E
The practice of ethics is advanced by: A) overcoming ignorance B) embracing certainty C) reporting results honestly D) recognizing the responsibility of forensic scientists E) all of the above (Chapter 9)
C
This arises when a scientist with deeply held personal views is asked to review projects whose nature is offensive to his/her viewpoints. A) conflict of effort B) conflict of interest C) conflict of conscience D) both A & C E) all of the above (Chapter 6)
False
True or False: A Type II Error is much worse than a Type I Error. (Unit B Exam)
False
True or False: A criminalist who tells the truth & is of good moral character will not run into any ethical problems. (Unit A Exam)
False
True or False: Allegations of unethical behavior need to be brought, investigated, & resolved by the professional organization for the primary function of getting rid of "bad apples." (Unit A Exam)
False
True or False: Although the peer review process involves privileged communication, there are built in safeguards that assure that the information is not copied or leaked before publication. (Chapter 4)
False
True or False: Although they have varying functions, both forensic science & the law serve the interests of their clients. (Unit A Exam)
True
True or False: As a general rule, anything that dehumanizes a person is unethical because even human beings are conscious of their actions & employ free will in making choices. (Chapter 6)
False
True or False: Codes of ethics should be considered as absolute documents. (Chapter 1)
False
True or False: Codes of ethics should be considered as absolute documents. (Unit A Exam)
True
True or False: Determinism means that all thoughts & actions are beyond human control. (Chapter 1)
False
True or False: Drylabbing, or visually inspecting common types of evidence for rapid reporting is a controversial but ethical process in helping to lower the crime lab's backlogs. (Unit B Exam)
False
True or False: Expert witnesses should remember that they are advocates & may have to become defensive or argumentative with some responses to support their client. (Chapter 5)
False
True or False: False positives describe a negative result for something that is not correct. (Chapter 5)
False
True or False: Falsification involves making something up. (Unit B Exam)
False
True or False: Forensic Science & criminal justice share the same standards for conduct, beliefs, & obligations. (Unit A Exam)
False
True or False: In respect to racism, people deserve treatment as means rather than ends. (Unit A Exam)
True
True or False: In the case study of Michael West, he stated that he did not believe in scientific certainty as an appropriate standard & that the gut instinct should be used. (Chapter 6)
False
True or False: In the case study of Steve Skowron, it was found that his misconduct stemmed from misusing drugs to help a back injury. (Chapter 7)
True
True or False: In the case study of the federal prosecutors, although the situation met the standards of conduct, there was a public perception that there was more to the story. (Chapter 3)
True
True or False: It is the duty of both prosecutors & defense attorneys to be moral agents. (Unit A Exam)
False
True or False: It is unethical for an attorney to make attempts to discredit expert witnesses because the experts are there to support the attorney. (Chapter 3)
False
True or False: Laws are ever constant whereas ethics are ever-changing. (Chapter 2)
False
True or False: Like conflict of interest, conflicts of conscious involve personal gain & may affect assigned duties. (Chapter 6)
False
True or False: Like conflicts of interest, conflicts of conscience may involve personal gain & may affect assigned duties. (Unit B Exam)
True
True or False: Many public defenders had varied views on the severity of Joseph Kopera's infractions & how they might affect his case work. (Chapter 7)
False
True or False: One good reason fro unethical behavior is that many scientists are responsible for their own training & continuing education because resources are not provided or available through agencies. (Unit B Exam)
True
True or False: People who stereotype others exhibit a lack of concern, not a lack of knowledge for differences. (Unit A Exam)
True
True or False: Practitioners who blatantly behave unethically will not be dissuaded by a code of ethics. (Chapter 1)
True
True or False: Proficiency testing is a major preventative measure to unethical behavior. (Chapter 6)
True
True or False: Science fiction is one media in which science is communicated to the public. (Chapter 4)
False
True or False: Since all humans make mistakes, people should only take ethical responsibility for actions they intend to occur. (Unit B Exam)
True
True or False: Some limitation of data access may be necessary to protect scientific data or keep information safe. (Chapter 4)
True
True or False: The Daubert Ruling set a precedent for the admissibility of expert witness testimony. (Unit B Exam)
True
True or False: The Daubert Ruling set precedent for the admissibility of expert witness testimony. (Chapter 5)
False
True or False: The Simpson case was the norm, not an anomaly. (Chapter 7)
True
True or False: The procedure for filing a complaint should be straightforward as to not intimidate the complainant but not be too lenient so that people abuse the procedure to harass others. (Chapter 8)
True
True or False: The public has more unreasonable expectations for the field of forensics due to the CSI Effect. (Chapter 5)
False
True or False: The steps of the scientific method provide a specific & ideal formula for solving all scientific problems. (Unit B Exam)
True
True or False: Trust between science & society has declined in the last decade. (Chapter 4)
False
True or False: Uncertainty is not negative but is uncommon & typically not expected in science. (Chapter 6)
True
True or False: Using controls can help prevent false positives. (Unit B Exam)
False
True or False: Using the ethical decision making frameworks when making a choice, loyalty should come before honesty because it is an inherent good. (Unit A Exam)
True
True or False: When asked about his resignation, Evan Thompson complained about his 3-hour commute. (Chapter 7)
True
True or False: While known samples have a documented original source, for questioned samples, the original source is unknown. (Chapter 5)
False
True or False: While the AAFS model is a more specific set of ethical guidelines, the CAC's ethical guidelines are more general. (Chapter 8)
A
What is NOT a major limitation of the peer review process? A) lengthy review process slows down the dissemination of valid science B) inaccessibility of original data C) bias by reviewers D) time or knowledge constraints E) none of the above (Chapter 4)
A
What is a major issue with eye witness testimony? A) change blindness B) eye witnesses are deceptive C) eye witnesses are often involved with the crime committed D) both A & B E) none of the above (Chapter 5)
A
What is the acronym for the organization which offers a uniform curriculum in ethics in accredited degree programs in forensic science? A) FEPAC B) SWG C) ASCLD-LAB D) NIST E) none of the above (Chapter 9)
C
What type of evidence was the focal point of the precedent set with the Frye versus U.S. ruling? A) DNA B) fingerprints C) polygraph tests D) ballistics E) none of the above (Unit B Exam)
C
What type of science is NOT consistent with generally accepted scientific views & needs to be eliminated from society? A) biased B) garbage C) junk D) fluff E) CSI Effect (Unit B Exam)
D
Which is NOT a goal of science? A) advancing human knowledge through problem solving B) eliminating false beliefs C) seeking truths D) providing support for law enforcement agencies E) none of the above (Unit B Exam)
A
Which is NOT one of the roles of the attorney? A) unbiased fact finder B) friend C) legal advocate D) counselor E) none of the above (Unit A Exam)
C
Which of the following IS a factor that selection of law enforcement is based on? A) nepotism B) family background C) polygraph testing D) societal interactions E) none of the above (Chapter 2)
B
Which of the following are NOT core values in teaching ethics? A) integrity B) independence C) innovation D) commitment E) none of the above (Chapter 9)
D
Which of the following are NOT possible motives for unethical behavior of expert witnesses? A) competition B) ego C) job security D) being the unbiased fact-finder E) principle (Chapter 6)
C
Which of the following are NOT potential problems with presenting scientific findings at a conference? A) controversial work may be presented for debate B) easier for misquotes to occur C) competitors may ask challenging questions to belittle scientists D) unfinished/unedited work may be presented E) both A & C (Unit B Exam)
B
Which of the following are NOT types of unethical behavior that prosecutors & defense attorneys may both employ? A) choosing jurors B) filing charges at their discretion C) coaching witnesses D) misusing expert witnesses E) none of the above (Chapter 3)
B
Which of the following does NOT help to decrease the dissemination of junk science? A) peer review B) introducing new ideas in a court of law to set precedence C) publication D) repeatability of the procedure E) none of the above (Chapter 4)
E
Which of the following factors do NOT influence change blindness? A) age B) attention C) object presentation D) substance abuse E) socioeconomic status (Chapter 5)
C
Which of the following is NOT a general ethical guideline? A) Do not represent yourself as an expert of you are not B) Do not use misinformation to support claims C) As an expert, you may have to advocate for things that you do not support D) Do not hide potential consequences, positive or negative. E) none of the above (Chapter 6)
B
Which of the following is NOT a goal of a forensic scientist? A) produce socially valued goods & services B) serve the client C) advance human knowledge D) documentation E) none of the above (Chapter 3)
B
Which of the following is NOT a specific topic addressed by the NAS report for forensic science? A) proficiency testing B) a standard mandatory code of ethics C) quality control D) admissibility of forensic evidence E) integrated governance (Chapter 9)
A
Which of the following is NOT a technical standard of performance? A) independence B) methodology C) professional criteria D) assuring that adequate data are available E) both A & C (Chapter 8)
D
Which of the following is NOT a type of ethical issue? A) personal B) general C) specific D) peer-sharing E) none of the above (Chapter 8)
E
Which of the following is NOT one of the most common forms of misconduct cited for scientists from the Favelli Study (2005)? A) a change in design, methods, or results in response to pressure from funding agencies B) overlooking blemished data in past studies C) having not followed proper procedure D) plagiarism or falsification of information E) none of the above (Unit B Exam)
A
Which of the following is a primary reason that a "professional testifier" may be used in cases for unethical reasons as opposed to a good expert witness? A) being the "yes-man" or "yes-woman" B) integrity C) testifying beyond one's scope slightly to ensure justice is served D) honesty E) both A & C (Unit A Exam)
E
Which of the following lead criminal justice practitioners to endure a great deal of stress inherent to their profession? A) dealing with criminals B) walking into unknown situations C) no rulebook to follow D) under the pressure of society to behave as model citizens E) all of the above (Chapter 2)
D
Which of the following processes is used to recognize & state what something is? A) classification B) grouping C) comparison D) identification E) none of the above (Unit B Exam)
B
Which represents the Hierarchical Order of Virtues from highest to lowest? (Unit A Exam) A) human, professional, American B) human, American, professional C) professional, human, American D) professional, American, human E) American, human, professional (Unit A Exam)
E
Who are the triers-of-fact? A) the prosecutor B) the jury C) the defense attorney D) the judge E) both B & D (Unit A Exam)
moral sensitivity
___________ _______________ describes the ability to interpret situations, recognize the ethical issue, & understand consequences. (Unit A Exam)
values
____________ are defined as enduring beliefs that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable. (Chapter 2)
justice
_____________ is defined as equal distribution of society's goods. (Chapter 2)
A
A _______________ occurs when tests are run on a sample that is known not to be a particular substance & the result is negative. A) negative control B) positive control C) false positive D) independent variable E) none of the above (Unit B Exam)
C
A personality trait where an individual is committed to one answer & will not change their mind is: A) relativist B) off-hand justifier C) dogmatist D) nepotist E) none of the above (Chapter 6)
E
All are major problems/ethical issues in the O.J. Simpson case EXCEPT: A) perjury on the stand B) medical examiner's late arrival to the scene C) 30 - 40 instances of mishandled evidence D) defense's lack of alibi therefore no specific time frame E) none of the above (Chapter 7)
B
An expert's moral & social obligation to decline services that do not support the honest interpretation of facts most closely exemplifies which of the following professional responsibilities? A) integrity B) understanding the scope & nature of service C) public trust D) objectivity & independence E) none of the above (Chapter 8)
Bad Action/Bad Consequence
Arlene has severe back pain & decides to ingest some of the unknown white powder she is processing. The drug alleviates her pain, which causes her to develop a habit & ultimately costs Arlene her job as a chemist in the crime lab. This is an example of: (Chapter 1)
A
Documentation that tracks evidence each time it changes hands or is moved between locations in a "cradle-to-grave" approach is: A) chain of custody B) visual documentation C) laboratory report D) warrant E) all of the above (Unit B Exam)
C
During this process, a person's knowledge, skills, experience, education & training are established for a judge in which of the following ways? A) pretrial conference B) before court to expedite the process C) voir dire D) by submisison of credentials E) all of the above (Chapter 5)
E
Factors that contribute to unethical behavior include: A) corruption B) temptation C) camaraderie D) power E) all of the above (Unit A Exam)
Bad Action/Good Consequence
Madison, a trace evidence examiner, determined that a questioned hair sample should be sent for DNA analysis. Ian, another colleague agreed with her assessment during his review. When their supervisor Chad reviewed the sample, he determined that the hair should actually be sent for nuclear DNA analysis which is a more specific test. After showing her that there was excellent sheath material present for the nuclear DNA test, Chad decided to ridicule Madison in front of other colleagues for her initial decision. This is an example of: (Chapter 1)
