Week 2 Flashcards
What is forensic psychology according to Wrightsman (2001)?
Forensic psychology is “any application of psychological knowledge or methods to the tasks facing the legal system,” including courtroom testimony, law enforcement screening, and offender treatment.
What is criminal psychology according to Bartol & Bartol (2008)?
Criminal psychology is the application of scientific psychological knowledge to understand the behavior and mental processes of criminals, focusing on factors leading to criminal behavior.
What factors reduce the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?
Weapon focus effect (presence of a weapon distracts from identifying the person).
Cross-racial identification (more mistakes occur when identifying someone of a different race)/Confidence is weakly correlated with accuracy (r = .37).
How does memory distortion affect eyewitness testimony?
Post-event information, such as news reports or suggestive questioning, can alter witnesses’ recollections, leading to inaccuracies. This was demonstrated in the Lockerbie Bombing case where the eyewitness’s memory changed over time.
What were the psychological issues in Mr. Gauci’s testimony in the Lockerbie Bombing case?
Exposure to post-event information (news reports about the suspect)/ Cross-racial identification/ Confidence-accuracy mismatch/ Delays in identification (2 years after the incident).
