key terms

Question 1

probative

Answer 1

determining whether suspect is guilty or innocent

Question 2

prejudicial

Answer 2

biasing jury against defendant

Question 3

cognitive load

Answer 3

psychological state induced during interviews to make it difficult for suspects to simultaneously maintain a lie and provide accurate information

Question 4

compliant false confession

Answer 4

Confessions obtained when a suspect is induced to comply with an interrogator’s demands, often due to stress or fear

Question 5

concealed information test (CIT)

Answer 5

interrogation method focusing on detecting knowledge that only the perpetrator would possess, rather than assessing truthfulness of statements.​

Question 6

criminal profiling

Answer 6

practice of analyzing crime scene evidence to infer characteristics of the unknown offender

Question 7

polygraph

Answer 7

device measuring physiological responses (e.g., heart rate, skin conductivity) to determine truthfulness; its reliability is debated.

Question 8

brain fingerprinting

Answer 8

technique measuring brain waves in response to stimuli to assess whether the brain recognizes specific information, aiding in detecting concealed knowledge.

Question 9

interrogation techniques

Answer 9

Various methods employed by law enforcement to elicit information or confessions from suspects, which can sometimes lead to false confessions.

Question 10

behavioral confirmation

Answer 10

When an interviewer’s expectations unintentionally influence the suspect’s behavior, leading the suspect to behave in a way that confirms those expectations

Question 11

control question test (CQT)

Answer 11

type of polygraph test comparing reactions to relevant questions with reactions to control questions to detect deception

Question 12

deliberate techniques

Answer 12

Deliberate techniques used by individuals to try to defeat lie detection tests, such as physical or mental strategies

Question 13

diagnostic cues

Answer 13

Behavioral or physiological signs that may indicate deception or truthfulness—though often unreliable in practice

Question 14

evidence ploys

Answer 14

Interrogation techniques where investigators falsely claim to have incriminating evidence to pressure a confession.

Question 15

external validity

Answer 15

The extent to which study findings can be generalized to real-life situations

Question 16

fabricated evidence

Answer 16

False or fake evidence presented to a suspect during interrogation to influence their behavior or statements.

Question 17

false confession

Answer 17

An admission of guilt for a crime the person did not commit.

Question 18

false denial

Answer 18

When a guilty person denies involvement in a crime

Question 19

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 19

A brain imaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, sometimes used in lie detection research

Question 20

fundamental attribution error

Answer 20

The tendency to overemphasize personal traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining someone else’s behavior.

Question 21

illusory causation

Answer 21

Perceiving a causal relationship between two events that are actually unrelated.

Question 22

internalized false confessions

Answer 22

When a person comes to believe they actually committed a crime they didn’t commit, often due to intense interrogation.

Question 23

lie bias

Answer 23

The tendency to assume others are lying more often than they actually are

Question 24

mass murderer

Answer 24

Someone who kills multiple people (typically 4 or more) in a single location during a single event

Question 25

negative incentives

Answer 25

Interrogation tactics that raise stress or fear, such as threats or accusations, to elicit a confession.

Question 26

positive inducements

Answer 26

Interrogation techniques that offer sympathy, understanding, or leniency to encourage a confession

Question 27

serial killers

Answer 27

Individuals who commit multiple murders over time, with cooling-off periods between each crime.

Question 28

spree killers

Answer 28

Killers who murder multiple victims at different locations within a short time, without a cooling-off period

Question 29

truth bias

Answer 29

The tendency to believe others are telling the truth more often than they actually are.

Question 30

voluntary false confessions

Answer 30

A false confession offered without external pressure, often due to mental illness, a desire for attention, or guilt over unrelated acts.

Question 31

aversive racism

Answer 31

Subtle, often unconscious bias against racial minorities, even among people who endorse equality

Question 32

defensive attribution

Answer 32

The tendency to blame victims less when the observer believes the same thing could happen to them, as a way to feel safer.

Question 33

dual-process models

Answer 33

Theories that explain decision-making as the product of two systems: a fast, intuitive one and a slow, analytical one.

Question 34

evidence-driven deliberation

Answer 34

Jury decision-making process where jurors delay voting until evidence is thoroughly discussed.

Question 35

evidentiary strength

Answer 35

How strong or persuasive the evidence is in proving guilt or liability

Question 36

extralegal factors

Answer 36

Irrelevant information (e.g., race, appearance) that can improperly influence legal decision-making.

Question 37

inadmissible evidence

Answer 37

Evidence that cannot legally be presented during a trial, often due to being obtained improperly or being overly prejudicial

Question 38

juror bias

Answer 38

Preexisting beliefs or attitudes that affect how a juror interprets evidence and makes decisions.

Question 39

informational social influence

Answer 39

When jurors conform to others' opinions because they believe those others are correct or have more knowledge.

Question 40

jury nullification

Answer 40

When a jury returns a verdict contrary to the evidence because they disagree with the law or think it's unfair.

Question 41

liable

Answer 41

Legally responsible for harm caused to another person in a civil case.

Question 42

liberation hypothesis

Answer 42

When evidence is weak, jurors rely more on personal beliefs and biases in making decisions.

Question 43

outcome severity

Answer 43

The seriousness of the consequences for the defendant, which may influence juror decisions despite instructions not to consider it.

Question 44

pre-decisional distortion

Answer 44

The tendency for jurors to view new evidence in a way that supports their initial leanings or verdict preference.

Question 45

primacy effect

Answer 45

Information presented early in a sequence has a stronger impact on decision-making than later information.

Question 46

propensity evidence

Answer 46

Evidence showing that a person has a tendency to behave in a certain way (e.g., prior bad acts), which is often inadmissible.

Question 47

psycholinguistics

Answer 47

The study of how language is understood and used, especially relevant in how jury instructions are interpreted.

Question 48

reactance theory

Answer 48

When people resist being told what to do or think, sometimes doing the opposite to reassert freedom.

Question 49

recency effect

Answer 49

Information presented last is more easily remembered and can have a strong influence on decision-making.

Question 50

schema

Answer 50

A mental framework or belief system that helps people organize and interpret information.

Question 51

story model

Answer 51

A theory that jurors construct a narrative from trial evidence, which guides their verdict decisions.

Question 52

sympathy hypothesis

Answer 52

The idea that jurors may favor a party they feel sympathy for, regardless of legal factors

Question 53

thought suppression

Answer 53

Trying to avoid thinking about something, which often makes it more likely to intrude on thoughts.

Question 54

verdict-driver deliberation

Answer 54

Jury deliberation that begins with a vote and focuses on convincing others to agree, rather than analyzing all evidence first.