12- Week 12 - Social Psychology & the law

Question 1

What are the problems of eye witness testimony?

Answer 1

Perception (can be distorted)
Effects of emotional state
Weapon-focus effects
Own race identification bias
Memory distortion over time
The misinformation effect (false post event info distorts original memory)
Children as witnesses are unreliable

Question 2

Identify the approaches used for confessions

Answer 2

Interviews and lie detection

Reid technique
1-confrontation
2-themes to justify crime
3-interupt
4-overcome objections
5-refocus suspect
6- show sympathy
7- offer face-saving explanation to guilt
8-suspect recounts
9-recount is changed to full written confession

Question 3

Describe factors affecting jury decisions and deliberations

Answer 3

Leniency bias- deliberations produce a tilt towards acquittal
Jury size- smaller jury= less deliberation time
Unanimous verdicts- In Australia unanimous verdicts needed for murder trials.

Question 4

Describe the sentencing process

Answer 4

Sentencing disparity- inconsistency of sentencing form judge to judge (intro’d mandatory sentencing to counter)
Anchoring- like priming, one stimulus is used as ref point in judging another.
Race- ATSI pop 2% but 25% of prison population.

Question 5

Describe the prison experience

Answer 5

Cruel
Violent
Degrading
Inmates fall into despair

Question 6

Describe perceptions of justice

Answer 6

Satisfaction with legal disputes depends not just on outcomes but on procedures to get there
Cultural considerations- sentences can be reduced if cultural reparations are agreed to.