Forensic Vocab CH 1

Question 1

What a person perceives using their senses:

Answer 1

Observation

Question 2

Describe what changes occur in the brain while observing:

Answer 2

Information from our senses, what we pay attention to, perception, shot-term memory, long-term memory

Question 3

Describe examples of factors influencing eyewitness accounts of events:

Answer 3

Level of interest, stress/emotional state, bias, and motives are just some of the factors that influence eyewitness accounts

Question 4

Compare the reliability of eyewitness testimony to what actually happened:

Answer 4

Minds are susceptible to change and memory fades over time and can be unreliable.

Question 5

Relate observation skills to their use in forensics:

Answer 5

Help you carefully analyze the scene, turning off your filter, and using patterns

Question 6

The ability to identify a concept or problem and isolate the parts, to organize the information to make an informed decision:

Answer 6

Analytical Skills

Question 7

Deriving the answer from the facts using a series of logical steps:

Answer 7

Deductive Reasoning

Question 8

A person who has seen someone or something and can communicate these facts:

Answer 8

Eyewitness

Question 9

A statement of information that can be verified:

Answer 9

Fact

Question 10

Relating to the application of scientific knowledge and legal questions:

Answer 10

Forensic

Question 11

Interpreting information received from the senses:

Answer 11

Perception

Question 12

What we perceive about persons depends, in part, on their:

Answer 12

Mannerisms or gestures

Question 13

We gather information every single moment about what is around us through our:

Answer 13

Senses

Question 14

Our ______ state influences our ability to see and hear what is happening around us.

Answer 14

Emotional

Question 15

The first task of forensic scientists is:

Answer 15

find, examine and evaluate evidence from a crime scene

Question 16

One of the most important tools of the forensic investigator is the ability to:

Answer 16

Observe, interpret, and report observations clearly.

Question 17

Criminal investigations depend on the observation skills of all involved. Those involved include:

Answer 17

Police investigators, forensic scientists, and the eyewitness

Question 18

The purpose of the Innocence Project was to reexamine post-conviction cases (individuals convicted and in prison) using:

Answer 18

DNA Evidence

Question 19

Forensic derives from the Latin word, forensis, which means:

Answer 19

of the forum

Question 20

A psychologist who has spent the last 50 years studying faces, Paul Ekman is a leading expert on:

Answer 20

Facial analysis and deception

Question 21

Paul Ekman’s early research led to a major discovery that changed how scientists view human expression. He found that our expressions are:

Answer 21

Biologically programed

Question 22

The verbal testimony of a forensic scientist alone may not be entered into evidence without:

Answer 22

proper documentation

Question 23

Whether observing at a crime scene or examining collected evidence in the laboratory, the forensic examiner must be able to:

Answer 23

idedtify the evidence, record it, and determine it’s significance

Question 24

When evaluating eyewitness testimony, the investigator must discriminate between fact and:

Answer 24

Opinion

Question 25

To ensure all evidence is found, a crime scene is often laid out in a:

Answer 25

Grid

Question 26

An interesting aspect of our perception is that we:

Answer 26

believe what we see and hear even though our ability to be accurate is flawed

Question 27

Eyewitness accounts of crime-scene events vary considerably from one person to another. What you observe depends on your level of:

Answer 27

interest, stress,concentration, and the amount and kind of distraction that may be present.

Question 28

Reasoning from facts is :

Answer 28

logicol analysis

Question 29

What a person perceives using his or her senses is an :

Answer 29

Observation

Question 30

When a witness describes what they thought happened, they are providing a(n)

Answer 30

Opinion

Question 31

Interpreting information received from the senses is a

Answer 31

Perception

Question 32

Deriving a conclusion from the facts using a series of logical steps is

Answer 32

deductive Reasoning

Question 33

In a memory test, such as the serial-position graph, the highest correct recall occurs at the beginning and the end of the list (without distraction). Explain why this occurs.

Answer 33

Because of primacy and recency effect