Psychology Testimony and Suggestibility

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Questions and Answers

What is the general acceptance test for expert testimony based on?

General acceptance within the relevant scientific community (correct)

Professional qualifications of the expert

The opinion of the judge

Peer-reviewed research only

Which of the following is NOT a part of the Daubert criteria for admitting expert testimony?

Peer reviewed

Testable

Necessary for assisting the trier of fact (correct)

Has recognized rate of error

According to the Mohan criteria, what is required for expert testimony to be admissible?

It must be based on popular opinion

It should only come from local experts

It must not have a rate of error

It should be relevant and necessary (correct)

What best characterizes psychopathy?

A lack of remorse and empathy Signup and view all the answers

What does the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) assess?

Interpersonal, affective, and behavioral features Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the factors in the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)?

Interpersonal and affective traits Signup and view all the answers

What is forensic psychology primarily concerned with?

Human behavior in relation to the law Signup and view all the answers

In Inuit culture, how is a man who lies, cheats, and steals typically described?

Kunlangeta Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is NOT true about psychopathy?

Psychopaths typically show high levels of remorse Signup and view all the answers

Which experiment demonstrated that children's testimony could be affected by suggestive questioning?

Binet's investigation of children's memory Signup and view all the answers

What concept describes the confusion between actual memories of events and those presented by the media?

Retroactive memory falsification Signup and view all the answers

What factor did Stern's reality experiment suggest negatively impacts the accuracy of testimony?

Witness's emotional arousal Signup and view all the answers

Which landmark case was notable for the first involvement of psychologists in the judicial system?

State v Driver Signup and view all the answers

What was the main reaction to Munsterberg's contributions to forensic psychology in the U.S. during his time?

Strong backlash and disregard of findings Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following findings was disregarded in court, despite Munsterberg's efforts?

True and false confessions were hard to judge Signup and view all the answers

What did research suggest about the accuracy of witnesses recalling exciting portions of an event?

It is often less accurate Signup and view all the answers

What is adversarial allegiance in the context of forensic experts?

The tendency for experts to favor the side that hires them. Signup and view all the answers

What is one characteristic that is typically lacking in individuals with psychopathy?

Empathy towards others. Signup and view all the answers

How do psychopathic individuals typically approach violent behaviors?

In a goal-driven and calculating way. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between psychopathy and sexual offenses?

Psychopathy is weakly associated with sexual offenses. Signup and view all the answers

What was a notable finding from the studies conducted on treating psychopaths?

Treatment may lead to increased violent recidivism in psychopaths. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about psychopathy is true?

Psychopaths tend to commit crimes at an earlier age. Signup and view all the answers

What is sexual sadism?

A desire to inflict pain or humiliation during sexual acts. Signup and view all the answers

Why do many clinicians conclude that treatment may make psychopathy worse?

As studies have shown increased recidivism in treated psychopaths. Signup and view all the answers

What approach is considered most effective for treating offenders with psychopathic traits?

An intensive cognitive-behavioral approach targeting criminogenic needs Signup and view all the answers

Which assessment tool is designed specifically to evaluate psychopathic traits in children?

Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) Signup and view all the answers

What has been observed about public perception regarding children labeled as psychopaths?

They face negative connotations and harsher judgments Signup and view all the answers

How stable are psychopathic traits from youth to adulthood?

Moderately stable, showing some responsiveness to interventions Signup and view all the answers

Which intervention focuses on enhancing the relationship between a parent and a child?

Parent-child interaction therapy Signup and view all the answers

In studies, how did mock jurors react to defendants described as psychopathic?

They provided more severe sentencing Signup and view all the answers

What are the main components assessed by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD)?

Callous-unemotional, impulsivity, and narcissism Signup and view all the answers

What method do researchers often use to study the nature versus nurture aspect of psychopathy?

Using identical twins who were not raised together Signup and view all the answers

What can chronic exposure to stressful events lead to in police officers?

Physical and psychological breakdown Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a psychological problem associated with police stress?

Job performance improvement Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of resiliency training for police officers?

To enhance mental preparedness and coping skills Signup and view all the answers

What key element is involved in psychological debriefing?

Social support and emotional venting Signup and view all the answers

What stage involves gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses in the Reid Model of Interrogation?

Initial evidence gathering phase Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tactics is commonly used in modern police interrogations?

Psychological manipulation like lying about evidence Signup and view all the answers

What is the final phase of the Reid Model of Interrogation primarily focused on?

Confronting the suspect with evidence of guilt Signup and view all the answers

What type of problems arise from police officers' physical health issues due to stress?

Higher instances of chronic diseases and illnesses Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Early Research on Testimony and Suggestibility

James Cattell's experiment showed that even with high confidence, university students were often inaccurate in recalling simple events.
Binet's experiment revealed that children's testimony was highly susceptible to suggestive questioning techniques. Free recall testimony was the most accurate.
Stern's "reality experiment" demonstrated that participants' testimony was often inaccurate, with the worst recall for more exciting portions of the event. This suggested that emotional arousal could negatively impact testimony accuracy.

Court Cases in Europe

With increasing research, psychologists began appearing as experts in court, particularly to testify and provide insight into testimony accuracy.
A case involving a physician's testimony about pretrial publicity's effect on memory introduced the term "retroactive memory falsification" - confusing actual memories with media descriptions.
Varendonck's case illustrated how easily children's memories could be altered using suggestive questioning, leading to the release of a wrongly accused murder suspect.

Advocates for Forensic Psychology in North America

Munsterberg actively participated in legal cases in the late 1800s and early 1900s, judging true and false confessions, but his findings were disregarded by the legal community and press.
Forensic psychology faced backlash in the U.S. but eventually caught up with European advancements in the field.

Landmark Court Cases in the United States

State v Driver (1921) marked the first instance of psychologists being involved in the judicial system, however, the psychologist's testimony was deemed incorrect and ignored.

Criteria for Accepting Expert Testimony

General acceptance test: Expert testimony is admissible in court if the basis of the testimony is generally accepted within the relevant scientific community. However, this standard faces criticism due to the potential disagreements between experts in any field.
Daubert criteria: Scientific evidence is deemed valid if the research it’s based on has been peer-reviewed, testable, has a recognized error rate, and adheres to professional standards.
Mohan criteria: Expert testimony is admissible in court if it is relevant, necessary for assisting the trier of fact (beyond common sense), doesn't violate any exclusionary rules, is provided by a qualified expert, and the expert is independent and impartial.

### Psychopathy

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by interpersonal, affective, and behavioral traits including manipulation, lack of remorse or empathy, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors.
Different cultures describe psychopathy in various ways: For example, the Inuit use the term "kunlangeta" to describe a deceitful individual who steals from others, ultimately being pushed off the ice.

### Assessment of Psychopathy

The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is a popular rater-based method for assessing psychopathy in adults, using a semi-structured interview to assess interpersonal, affective, and behavioral features.
It uses a 3-point scale (2, 1, 0) and consists of two correlated factors: Factor 1 (interpersonal and affective traits) and Factor 2 (impulsive and antisocial behaviors).

Psychopathy and Violence

Psychopathic characteristics are associated with a criminal lifestyle and disregard for societal norms.
Traits that typically inhibit aggression and violence (empathy, emotional bonds, internal inhibitions) are lacking or ineffective in psychopaths.
Psychopathy is strongly associated with criminal behaviours in general and violence in particular.
Psychopaths commit more crimes and begin at an earlier age than non-psychopaths, but they do not commit more homicides.
Their violence is more goal-driven, devoid of empathy, and targets victims more randomly (less likely to attack loved ones).
Psychopaths may even be able to detect victims by the way they walk.

Psychopathy and Sexual Violence

Psychopathy is linked to violent offenses but not strongly associated with sexual offenses.
This might be due to the high rate of sexual offending in child molesters, who typically lack psychopathic traits.
Sexual sadism involves sexual arousal from causing pain, suffering, or humiliation, which may or may not be present in psychopathic individuals.

Psychopathy and Treatment

Many clinicians and researchers are pessimistic about the treatability of psychopathy, while some are optimistic.
A study on treating psychopaths revealed a reduction in violent recidivism among non-psychopaths but an increase in violent recidivism among psychopaths, leading some to conclude treatment makes it worse.
Another study suggested that psychopathic sex offenders who remained in treatment were less likely to reoffend than those who dropped out.
Effective treatment programs for offenders with psychopathic traits tend to be intensive, target criminogenic needs (risk factors related to criminal behavior), and utilize a cognitive-behavioral approach.

Psychopathy in Youth

Psychopathy is believed to develop gradually through environmental and biological factors rather than appearing suddenly in adulthood.
Two assessment instruments adapted from the PCL-R are used for youth: the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) and the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV).
The stigma associated with labeling a child as psychopathic can be detrimental for both the individual and professionals in mental health and criminal justice fields.
Studies show that mock jurors impose harsher sentences on defendants labeled as psychopathic, including adolescents.

Stability of Psychopathic Traits

Psychopathy in adults is associated with violence, considered a stable trait, and resistant to intervention attempts.
Several studies indicate moderate stability of psychopathic traits in youth into adulthood.
However, psychopathic traits in youth may be more responsive to interventions.
A study found that youth receiving intensive treatment had a lower risk of re-offending compared to those receiving correctional treatment.
Parent-child interaction therapy, focusing on improving parent-child relationships through positive reinforcement and parenting strategies, has shown to decrease conduct problems and increase empathy in children.

Psychopathy: Nature vs. Nurture

Studies examining identical twins raised apart versus together help understand the relative contributions of genetics and environment.

Police Stress

Constant exposure to stressful events can lead to chronic activation of the body’s stress response systems, resulting in physical health problems, psychological and personal issues, and job performance problems.

Preventing and Managing Police Stress

Resilience training helps police officers adapt to stress and adversity by facilitating mental preparedness through psychoeducation about the psychological and physiological aspects of extreme stress and potential trauma.
Psychological debriefing is a psychologically oriented intervention for officers following stressful events. It involves group or individual meetings aimed at mitigating emotional distress and preventing long-term psychopathology. Key elements include social support, emotional venting, education about stress responses, and coping mechanisms to restore adaptive functioning.

Police Interrogations

Police interrogations are conducted to gather evidence and obtain confessions from suspects.
Previously, physical methods like torture were used, but now more psychological tactics are employed, like lying about evidence or threatening loved ones.

### The Reid Model of Interrogation

The Reid Model of Interrogation is a 9-step model frequently used in North America to extract confessions from suspects.
It consists of three phases:
- First phase: Gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses/victims.
- Second phase: Conducting a non-accusatorial interview of the suspect to assess deception.
- Third phase: A 9-step accusatorial interrogation of the suspect:
  - Step 1: Confronting the suspect with their guilt, even if evidence is withheld, implying its existence.
  - (Remaining steps are not included in these notes)

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Description

Explore the early research on the accuracy of testimony and suggestibility in psychology. This quiz covers key experiments by Cattell, Binet, and Stern, and their implications for eyewitness reliability. Delve into how emotional arousal and suggestive questioning can alter memory recall.