Psychology and the Law Final Exam

Which of the following is correct in reference to an expert witness?

"All of the Above"

Coercive Persuasion is commonly known as

"Brainwashing"

On December 23, 1985 Raymond Belknap and James Vance entered into a suicide pack. Although Belknap successfully killed himself, Vance was injured and survived. When first interviewed by police, Vance told them he attempted suicide because

"Life Sucks"

Hooker had Stan sign a document entitled "This Indenture," under the premise that she and/or her family would be killed by

"The Company"

According to the civil suit brought by Belknap and Vance's families, the Judas Priest song "Better by You, Better Than Me," contained which subliminal phrase

"do it"

Standard 8.11, Plagiarism of the Ethical Standard and Code of Conduct for Psychologists, defines plagiarism as

"presenting portions of another's work or data as one's own, even if the other work or data source is cited occasionally."

The 2010 amendemants to the Ethics code changed which of the following two sections

1.02 and 1.03

For child molesters, the average rate of reconviction is

20.4%

According to Chapter 6, in 2004 ______________ reports of child maltreatment were filed in the United States.

3,000,000

One criticism of law-enforcement procedures has been the use of race-based profiling by police officers. Maryland state troopers' records over three years showed that, of all motorists on Interstate I-95, 75% were White and 17% were Black. What percentage of stops with searches involved those who were Black?

70%

In the chapter discussion on the Cameron Hooker case, Colleen Stan

Kidnapped at knifepoint and taken to hooker's house

Which of the following was NOT listed as a possible risk factor for domestic violence?

Large age difference between partners

Trial consultants are most often hired by

Law firms defending clients in civil cases

Hafemeister and Melton (1987) concluded that when secondary social-science sources were cited in cases, they were most often originally published in

Law reviews and government reports

Hargrave and Hiatt (1987) found that people portray themselves more __________ in face-to-face interviews than on personality tests, resulting in more________________.

Positively; Poor risks being hired

Psychologists may base opinions about an individual, contained in their recommendations, reports, and diagnostic or evaluative statements including testimony without actually examining the individual, if such examination is not practical.

True

The civil lawsuit brought by Tatiana Tarasoff's parents was groundbreaking due to the issue of a patient's right to confidentiality in psychotherapy being pitted against the need for society to be protected from potentially dangerous individuals.

True

After three and a half years of imprisonment Hooker allowed Stan to

Visit her Family

Prosecution experts testified that Patty Hearst

Was a willing convert to the SLA

Hargrave and Hiatt (1987) looked at the ability of two clinicians to predict the success of police trainees using interviews. The study found

both clinicians correctly judged trainees as suitable vs. unsuitable for more than 65% of the trainees

In assessing the desirability of entering a case, APA members are guided by the "Factors Affecting APA Involvement in Litigation" (1983). Factor of consideration include

considerations as to the presence of social, moral, or ethical reasons to become involved

The court concluded :

death qualified juries less than neutral and ineffective as compared to normal criminal juries

Which of the following would not be something conducted by a forensic psychologist

determining criminal responsibility (i.e. guilt or innocence)

Dangerousness had been conceptualized as a ________ variable, while risk assessment is a ________ variable.

dichotomous; continuous

Research examining conviction proneness after the Witherspoon court decision demonstrated that

exclusion of jurors who cannot accept capital punishment but who can be fair and impartial with respect to guilt, leaves a population of eligible jurors who are predisposed in favor of the prosecution as compared to individuals who comprise typical juries.

The term "Junk Science" refers to

expert witnesses to use questionable methodologies to support preconceived opinions

Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510 (1968), allows for the exclusion of an individual as a potential juror due to

his or her absolute views against imposing the death penalty in a capital case

In Baxstrom v. Herold, the Supreme Court held that

holding offenders in a mental institute after their sentences are complete is a violation of the equal protection clause

Hawthrone v. Florida (1985) and New Jersey v. Kelly (1984) were examples where the submission of Amicus briefs

increased the perceived value of psychology for government policy making

One of the most significant differences between the 1976 Tarasoff decision and the 1974 Tarsaroff decision by the California Supreme court was

the 1976 decision changed the finding from a "duty to warn" to a "duty to protect"

Hugo Munsterberg is often considered the founder of what field?

Forensic Psychology

The majority research concludes that the presence of a death penalty option

Does NOT deter criime

The competency hearing of Florida death-row prisoner Alvin Ford, described in Chapter 2, reflected which kind of temptation in forensic psychology?

Doing a cursory Job

All of the below were expert witnesses for the defense, except

Dr. Rob Halford

According to the chapter discussion of the Patty Hearst case, for what reason had she been kidnapped?

Due to her father's status as heir to the Hearst publishing dyansty and owner of a national chain of newspapers, radio and television stations.

If a batterer controls when and when not his partner can drive, he is displaying what category of psychological abuse?

Economic/resource abuse

Which of the following is permitted to present opinions as part of testimony

Expert Witness

According to the standard on "Mandatory Individual or Group Therapy"

Faculty who are or are likely to be responsible for evaluating students' academic performance do not themselves provide therapy to students

"This client was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, insane at the time of the offense." This is the type of statement that is commonly made by a forensic psychologist.

False

The amicus brief submitted by The American Psychiatric Association in Barefoot v Estelle supported the claim that psychiatrists

Cannot reliably predict dangerousness

Although the textbook uses a broad definition of forensic psychology applicable to many topics, some psychologists define forensic psychology more narrowly, considering it a specialization of _____________ psychology.

Clinical

Amicus briefs can only be submitted by the American Psychological Association (APA)

False

An investigator considers the statements made by a child in a case of alleged sexual abuse to determine if they are truthful or untruthful. Particular emphasis is placed on whether the statement seems coherent, has sufficient detail, and seems spontaneous rather than rehearsed. Which procedure is being used here?

Criteria based content analysis

Dr. Chris Hatcher, expert witness for the prosecution in the Cameron Hooker case, characterized "brainwashing" as

A rare phenomenon that occurred in very few cases

Predictions based on a statistical scheme or formula are referred to as

Actuarial prediction

What is NOT a critical item included in the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA)?

Adherence to traditional sex roles

According to Tremper the best way to determine the influence of amicus briefs is

An Impact analysis

In filing an amicus brief, an organization must comply with a specialized set of court rules

Applicants must either obtain consent from each party or petition the Court for its permission

According to Hearst she joined the Symbionese Liberation Army

As a means of survival

In which case, did the Supreme Court agree with the opinion of APA's amicus brief?

Atkins v. Virginia (2002)

The term rape trauma syndrome was coined by

Burgess and Holmstrom

In one study discussed in Chapter 7, 82% of rape victims met the criteria for a diagnosis of

Generalized anxiety disorder

The APA writes a brief in support of a psychologist's right not to have to release the HIV status of a client, except in the case of alleged rape or sexual abuse. The APA argues that confidentiality is fundamental to successful treatment with clients and that violations of confidentiality dramatically harm the willingness of people to seek treatment when needed. What type of Amicus Brief is this?

Guild

The APA writes a brief that summarizes the current diagnositc criteria, prognosis, and most up-to-date treatment options for schizophrenia. What type of Amicus Brief is this?

Guild

A better predictor of suicidal behavior than depression is

Hopelessness

Section 3 of the Ethical Standards discusses:

Human Relations

Which of the following best represents the danger of the advocate role in expert testimony?

It compromises the objectivity of the expert

Subliminal messages first gained attention in 1957 when

James Vicary, publicized his development of technology that would allow advertisers to insert messages within advertisements

Which of the following is NOT included as a component of the battered woman syndrome?

Lowered level of vigilance

According to Baldus and his colleagues (1990), which magnitude of Moderate aggravating factors will create the largest "race-or-victim" effect in sentencing convicted murderers?

Mid-Range

F. Lee Bailey, Hearst's defense attorney, decided on which legal defense

Not Guilty by reason of duress or coercion

At his trial Poddar entered a plea of:

Not guilty by reason of insanity

Social scientists, observers in the media and legal experts have turned attention to violence in video games, television programs, music lyrics, and movies as possible causes of violence in young people. This assumption that these types of media can influence behavior is based on which psychological principle:

Observational learning

Which of the following items is NOT part of the Static-99?

Obsessive behaviors

According to Ewing & McCann (2006) among the most important ethical principals for professional therapists is privacy and confidentiality. However, complete confidentiality is not possible in certain situations. Which of the situations described below is NOT a situation in which confidentiality can be broken?

Potential theft of another's property

Which of the following is NOT a temptation of forensic psychology and a risk in its use?

Presenting ambiguous irrelevant information

The APA unanimously passed a resolution calling for the suspension of the penalty largely due to

Problems with implementation of the death penalty

According to the response to the States' criticism of social sciences research in Lockhart v. McCree :

Proof based on statistically significant findings in used by all sciences and endorsed by the court

Which of the following is correct about the treatment of former sexual partners by a psychologist:

Psychologists may not treat former sexual partners at all

Which of the following in NOT a reason why police should be cautious in enlisting a psychologist to assist in hostage negotiation?

Psychologists may side with the hostage taker, reflecting the Stockholm syndrome

According to the module, which discipline emphasizes truth and empirical facts rather than conflict resolution?

Psychology

Which of the following is NOT one of the tensions between the law and psychology as described in Chapter 1 of the textbook?

Psychology's use of deontology versus law's use of consequentalism

This discipline speaks in statistical probabilities, while this one speaks in absolutes...

Psychology; Law

The concept of psychological self-defense

Remains untested in the courts

When composing an amicus brief, Saks (1993) suggested that psychologists should

Represent a consensus view of social scientists

Easy access to victims is an example of a __________ predictor.

Risk Management

Predictors that focus on the nature of the environment in which an individual lives are

Risk management predictors

The fact that trial consultants largely view their work as "proprietary" illustrates the conflict between

Scientist and entrepreneur

Janice Hooker participated in Cameron Hooker's crimes to the extent that she went along with the kidnapping, was aware of the "Girl in the Box" under the bed, and felt the legal and moral wrongness of the situation when she spoke with her minister. Given what you know and the discussion in the chapter, which psychological concept best explains Janice's participation in the situation

Self-Preservation

According to Ewing & McCann's (2006) discussion in Chapter 9, depression, hopelessness, substance abuse and peer influences contribute to which type of behavior

Self-destructive

A history of prior violence is an example of a __________ predictor.

Static

The Rapid Risk Assessment of Sexual Recidivism (RRASOR) has been criticized for only focusing on ___________ variables

Static

Which of the following was NOT specified as a predictive scheme of risk assessment?

Statistical prediction

Attorneys "shopping around" until they find an expect who will say what they want contributes to expert witnesses

Substituting advocacy for objectivity

Dr. Shevrin testified as an expert witness for the Plaintiff in the Judas Priest trial. According to Dr. Shevrin, if a person is predisposed to commit suicide as a result of any number of factors in his or her personality, and situational factors interact with predisposing factors, a person is in a

Suicide Zone

A clinician found guilty of defrauding Medicare out of thousands of dollars, and simultaneously investigated by the state regulatory agency and an ethics committee. During the period when both investigations were actively open, other charges were incontrovertibly documented by a major insurance company - the clinician had billed for over 50 sessions that had never transpired. Which of the following is the likely result from an APA ethics review committee

Suspension or Expulsion

Which of the following focuses on the importance of the general acceptance of an expert's testimony, emphasizing its relevance?

The Federal Rules of Evidence

Poddar was found guilty, however on appeal, the California Supreme Court found that the judge had not properly instructed the jury in regards to Poddar's actions being done with express or implied malice. The California Supreme Court argued that three elements must be present with the requisite malice. All of the following are required elements except:

The acts were completed as an adult

Which of the following was NOT an activity Hugo Munsterberg tried to bring into the legal system?

The establishment of minimum sentences for the criminally insane

According to the response to the States' criticism of social sciences research in Lockhart v. McCree, the idea that "researcher bias" was a cause for the results was improbably due to all of the below except:

The findings remained stable for 50 Years

According to Ewing & McCann (2006) one problem with the second Tarasoff decision is that the California Supreme Court relied heavily on and cited

The law review article by John Fleming and Bruce maximoff

Which is NOT a criticism leveled against psychology when applied to the legal system?

The use of irrelevant past cases in making decisions on current issues

Tremper believes that this is the way that psychology can most influUence public policy...

Through amicus-curie brief

Death qualification of jurors interferes with the proper functioning of the jury. It impairs the attributes which make for an effective jury at deliberation.

True

In the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, the values of the social scientists who submitted an amicus brief

Were in line with the eventual decision by the court

All of the below are categories of prospective jurors except

Wetherford Excludables- tend to be impartial but can be excluded at the sentencing phase

The presiding judge, Judge Whitehead, found that

a combination of factors precipitated the suicidal behavior of Vance and Belknap and none of the evidence pointed to a specific legal or proximate cause. Therefore, Judas Priest was not found liable for the death of Belknap or Vance's injuries

The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised is

a rating scale, completed by a clinician after an interview with the subject.

An amicus brief is

a stylized instrument combining facts, law, and logic as needed to present judges with the most compelling argument for adopting whatever position the filer advocates

A summary Judgment

a trial is avoided; the judge rules after evaluating the evidence

Wrongful Death suits

are complex and often raise questions about causation

According to Tremper (1987) APA has an extraordinary advantage over most organizations wishing to influence the courts due to

its membership is capable of conducting the very research needed to educate judges about empirical matters at issue in litigation

According to Lockhart v McCree (1987) death qualification of juries results in all of the following except

juries containing individuals with more mental illness

Prosenjit Poddar developed a relationship with Tatiana Tarasoff in 1968. When Tarasoff indicated she was not interested in a committed romantic relationship with Poddar, he became despondent and depressed. During a therapy session in 1969, Poddar revealed his intentions to:

kill Tarsaroff when she returned from study abroad in Brazil.

The court-appointed team of psychologist and psychiatrists found the Hearst was

legally sane and sad, hopeless, withdrawn, emotionally distressed and expressing a cry for help.

A Paraphilia is a

mental disorder that reflects sexual deviancy

"Tarasoff warnings" Most often refer to

practice of giving notification to an identifiable victim or law enforcement when a patient makes an explicit threat to harm another person

The Tarasoff decision paved the way for a number of different limitations on confidentiality in doctor-patient and client-therapist relationships, excluding:

requirement to report delusional fantasies which do not involve the harm of others or identify a specific threat.

Patty Hearst was found guilty of the bank robbery charge;

she was sentenced to 7 years in prison and served 22 months

When a psychologist violates an ethical principle, there are a number of possible outcomes to a disciplinary review. An "educative warning" would mean

the conduct is unquestionably inappropriate but relatively minor. The committee may issue a cease and desist notice as part of the review.

One of the most controversial aspects of the Tarsaroff decision was

the manner in which the California Supreme Court arrived at the conclusion that the therapists should have contacted the victim directly.

Amicus briefs offer several advantages over other methods of influencing governmental policy including

the prospect of more dramatic results with the expenditure of fewer resourses

"Voir Dire" is essentially

the questioning, examination, and qualification of prospective jurors

The principle of fidelity and responsibility refers to

the responsibility to uphold professional standards of conduct and accept appropriate responsibility for their behavior

A survey of mental health professionals regarding competency for execution evaluations found

those willing to do evaluations were more in favor of the death penalty than those not willing.

The two primary questions raised by the Belknap and Vance lawsuits

was subliminal speech considered protected speech under the U.S. Constitution and did Judas Priest intentionally place a subliminal message in their recording of "Better by You, Better Than Me"

In Lockhart v. McCree, the researchers and experts address the empirical question

whether "death-qualified" juries are more likely to convict a capital criminal than juries in non-capital criminal cases

According to Chapter 8 in Forensic Psychology, Psychologists cannot testify about

whether a child is telling the truth about being sexually abused.