Chapter 3 Flashcards
What is the primary goal of police questioning when a person is a suspect in a crime?
a. Obtain eyewitness testimonies
b. Elicit a confession
c. Gather character witness testimonies
d. Secure circumstantial evidence
B
According to the available studies, what percentage of suspects, on average, make full confessions during police interrogations?
a. Between 20% and 29%
b. Between 39% and 48%
c. Between 50% and 59%
d. Between 60% and 69%
B
Why do police prefer confessions over other types of evidence?
a. They are quicker to obtain.
b. They guarantee a conviction.
c. They save time and may avoid trials.
d. Both b and c.
D
In the case of Colorado v. Connelly (1986), what significance did Justice William Brennan attribute to confessions?
a. Confessions are irrelevant in court.
b. Confessions render the trial process superfluous.
c. Confessions require further investigation.
d. Confessions should be excluded from trials.
B
In a study comparing the impact of different types of evidence, what evidence led to the highest conviction rate?
a. Eyewitness testimony
b. Confession
c. Character witness testimony
d. Forensic evidence
B
How did mock jurors perceive high-pressure confessions in a study?
a. They easily recognized coercion and disregarded the confession.
b. They were more likely to find the defendant guilty.
c. They were less influenced by coercion.
d. They discounted confessions in both high and low-pressure conditions.
B
In a study of actual false confessions, what percentage of the time were suspects convicted when they falsely confessed and proceeded to trial?
a. 62%
b. 71%
c. 81%
d. 92%
C
What psychological tendency contributes to the difficulty jurors face in discounting a confession?
a. Confirmation bias
b. Fundamental attribution error
c. Groupthink
d. Availability heuristic
B
What do defense attorneys often argue when a defendant has confessed?
a. Confessions should be excluded as irrelevant.
b. Confessions are always coerced.
c. Confessions are voluntary and reliable.
d. Confessions are inadmissible if obtained under duress.
D
What role does incriminating evidence play in the impact of high-pressure interrogation techniques?
a. It strengthens the impact of coercion.
b. Jurors disregard coercion when strong evidence is present.
c. It has no effect on jurors’ perception of coercion.
d. Jurors are less likely to convict when incriminating evidence is weak.
B
What catalyzed a shift in police interrogation techniques in 1931?
a. Introduction of psychological coercion
b. Government commission report on police abuses
c. Advancements in forensic technology
d. Adoption of Miranda rights
B
What led to the shift from overt physical abuse to covert forms of abuse in police interrogations?
a. Legal decisions favoring psychological coercion
b. Advancements in forensic technology
c. A decline in police brutality
d. Public awareness of physical abuse
A
Since the Miranda v. Arizona decision of 1966, what rights must be explained to suspects during interrogation?
a. Right to an attorney and the right to remain silent
b. Right to a fair trial and the right to confront accusers
c. Right to speedy trial and the right to an unbiased jury
d. Right to appeal and the right to cross-examine witnesses
A
What percentage of suspects choose to exercise their Miranda rights, according to the notes?
a. 10%
b. 20%
c. 50%
d. 80%
B
How do police detectives sometimes deemphasize Miranda warnings to increase the probability of a waiver?
a. Speaking slowly and clearly
b. Skipping the Miranda warnings entirely
c. Speaking faster and ritualistically
d. Repeating the warnings multiple times
C
What term do lawyers use to describe disputes between defendants and police regarding coercion allegations?
a. Confession contests
b. Swearing contests
c. Miranda disputes
d. Coercion debates
B
What has been permitted by courts over the past 50 years to persuade suspects to confess?
a. Physical brutality
b. Deceptive lies and theatrical tricks
c. Verbal threats of violence
d. Isolation without food or water
B
What makes determining psychological coercion difficult based on the information provided to judges?
a. Lack of judicial expertise
b. Ambiguity in defining coercion
c. Inadequate legal precedents
d. Lack of forensic evidence
B
What rights established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Miranda do many innocent suspects waive?
a. Right to a fair trial
b. Right to remain silent
c. Right to confront accusers
d. Right to an attorney
D
What did one study reveal about the willingness of guilty and innocent participants to waive their rights?
a. Guilty participants were more likely to waive rights.
b. Innocent participants were more likely to waive rights.
c. Both guilty and innocent participants had equal willingness.
d. The study did not provide conclusive results.
B
What is a common psychological technique used in the good cop–bad cop approach?
a. Threats of physical violence
b. Display of anger by the “bad” cop
c. Isolation of suspects in a dark room
d. Offering leniency to the suspect
B
What is the significance of setting up the interrogation room according to the widely used police guide?
a. Aesthetic appeal
b. Psychological comfort for suspects
c. Detailed advice on every aspect of interrogation
d. Compliance with interior design standards
C
What are the four basic influence strategies underlying the Reid technique?
a. (1) Positive reinforcement, (2) group dynamics, (3) situational awareness, (4) cooperation
b. (1) Loss of control, (2) social isolation, (3) certainty of guilt, (4) minimization of culpability
c. (1) Physical intimidation, (2) deception, (3) empathy, (4) negotiation
d. (1) Mirroring, (2) rapport building, (3) miranda rights, (4) disclosure
B
What is the primary goal of the loss of control strategy in interrogation?
a. To create a friendly environment
b. To instill fear in the suspect
c. To make suspects feel comfortable
d. To induce vulnerability and anxiety
D
Why are suspects often interrogated alone?
a. To strengthen their emotional support
b. To avoid contradictory information
c. To provide legal counsel
d. To minimize interrogator influence
B
What is the main purpose of the certainty of guilt strategy in interrogation?
a. To gather evidence against the suspect
b. To convince the suspect of their guilt
c. To establish rapport with the suspect
d. To express sympathy towards the suspect
B
How might interrogators use false evidence ploys to influence suspects?
a. To confuse the suspect intentionally
b. To create a surreal environment
c. To exaggerate the strength of the case
d. All of the above
C
What is the term used in interrogation manuals for the strategy of offering face-saving justifications or excuses for a crime?
a. Sympathy expressions
b. Minimization of culpability
c. Guilt projection
d. Denial reinforcement
B
How do the strategies of certainty of guilt and minimization of culpability avoid direct threats or promises?
a. By using reverse psychology
b. By employing deceptive language
c. By implying threats and promises
d. By avoiding communication altogether
C
What is the overall aim of the four psychologically powerful strategies in interrogation?
a. To convince suspects of their innocence
b. To create a surreal environment
c. To induce vulnerability and anxiety
d. To cause guilty suspects to recognize they are caught
D
What risk may innocent suspects face due to the strategies used in interrogation?
a. Exoneration
b. Acquiescence and false admission of guilt
c. Legal representation
d. Reduced sentences
B