91 Questions
Which field is portrayed as infallible in forensic crime dramas?
CSI
According to a survey of forensic experts, how was the general accuracy of CSI rated?
Low
What impact has CSI as a cultural phenomenon had?
Inspiring youths to consider a career in crime scene investigation
What is the CSI effect?
The influence of fictional television programs on jurors' interpretation of evidence
What does the text say about the empirical evidence supporting the CSI effect?
There is virtually no empirical evidence suggesting the CSI effect is a real phenomenon
What is one concern raised about the remedies employed by courts to address the CSI effect?
They may introduce bias into juror decision-making
Which of the following is NOT a popular forensic drama inspired by CSI?
Law & Order
What is the CSI effect?
The high expectations about forensic evidence held by regular CSI viewers
What is the strong prosecutor's effect of the CSI effect?
The increased evidentiary burden on the prosecution due to high expectations about forensic evidence
What does the article caution about the belief in the CSI effect?
It may create a self-fulfilling prophecy
According to the weak prosecutor's effect, prosecutors engage in remedial measures because they believe that jurors
expect sophisticated forensic science
What percentage of district attorneys surveyed in the state of New York believed that the CSI effect existed in the courtroom?
50%
Under the defendant's effect, defense lawyers argue that the positive portrayal of forensic science in CSI leads jurors to
interpret forensic evidence in a highly persuasive light
The police chief's version suggests that criminals learn to evade detection by watching shows like CSI. This effect can have a significant impact on
the criminal justice system
According to the text, what is one way in which prosecutors may bring about the CSI effect?
By explicitly drawing a connection to CSI during the trial
What is the definition of stereotype threat?
Behaving in a way that substantiates a negative stereotype
According to the text, what is one way in which prosecutors may prime the concept of CSI and bring about the CSI effect?
By reminding and informing jurors of CSI
What is the strong prosecutor's effect of the CSI effect?
The effect of prosecutors performing worse due to a lack of forensic evidence
According to the text, what is the self-fulfilling prophesy?
When individuals expect a group to behave a certain way and cause that group to behave in a way consistent with that expectation
What did Rosenthal and Jacobson's study on grade school teachers demonstrate?
The mere expectation that certain students would improve caused teachers to act differently, resulting in higher IQ gains for those students
What does the text caution about the belief in the CSI effect?
Psychological science suggests that forms of the CSI effect are plausible, but that does not mean CSI influences jurors in a meaningful way
What is the weak prosecutor's effect of the CSI effect?
Many prosecutors believe the CSI effect is a real problem and take preventative steps to address it
According to psychologists, schemas are mental structures that people use to organize their knowledge around themes or topics and influence the information people notice, think about, and remember. Schemas can direct cognition and influence judgment and decision-making. They are considered an essential part of everyday cognition as they help individuals quickly organize and make sense of new situations. However, schemas can also be inaccurate or socially undesirable. In the context of the CSI effect, schemas have been used to explain both the strong prosecutor's effect and the defendant's effect.
Mental structures that help people organize their knowledge and influence their thinking and remembering
- How do schemas influence judgment and decision-making?
They make people more likely to attend to and remember schema-consistent information
- In what situations can schemas be inaccurate or socially undesirable?
Racial profiling
What method has been used to measure the impact of CSI viewership on the way participants evaluate evidence in a trial context?
Transcript studies
Who performed one of the first empirical tests of the CSI effect?
Podlas
What is the central hypothesis of the CSI effect?
CSI viewership affects the way juries decide cases
What is one limitation of the existing CSI effect research?
Question order effects
What is one proximate effect of CSI viewership?
Increased weight on forensic evidence
What is one potential bias in the Baskin and Sommers study (2010)?
Excessive face validity
What is one potential drawback of the trial transcript method in CSI effect research?
Underpowered studies
Which study found that frequent CSI viewers were no more or less likely to acquit the accused due to a lack of forensic evidence?
Podlas's study
What was the primary dependent measure in Maeder and Corbett's study?
Verdict measure
What was the sample size of participants choosing a not guilty verdict for a lack of forensic evidence in Podlas's study?
Twenty-five participants
What did Schweitzer and Saks's study find regarding the impact of CSI viewing on participants' ultimate decision?
No statistically significant impact
What did Shelton and colleagues find regarding the strong prosecutor's effect in their study?
CSI watchers were more likely to convict in all types of crimes without scientific evidence.
What did Kim, Barak, and Shelton find in their study regarding the influence of CSI viewing on juror decision-making?
CSI viewing raised expectations about evidence and influenced juror decision-making.
What did Maeder and Corbett's research suggest about the influence of CSI viewership on decision-making?
CSI viewership had no direct effect on decision-making.
What did questionnaire studies reveal about the relationship between CSI viewership and expectations for evidence?
CSI viewers generally had higher expectations for all types of evidence.
What did Brewer and Ley's survey on DNA evidence find?
Time spent watching real and fictional portrayals of criminal investigations positively predicted the belief in the reliability of DNA evidence
What did Lieberman and colleagues' study find about the impact of CSI viewing on beliefs about evidence?
There was no relationship between exposure to CSI programming and beliefs about the accuracy and persuasiveness of forensic evidence
What did Baskin and Sommers' telephone survey find about the impact of crime television viewing on the likelihood to convict without scientific evidence?
Participants who watched three or more hours of crime television a week were less likely to convict without scientific evidence
What did Cole and Dioso-Villa's analysis of archival acquittal rate data find about the CSI effect?
There was a slight rise in acquittal rates after the debut and rise of CSI programming
Which of the following courts have adopted anti-CSI effect instructions?
Connecticut v. Collins
What is the purpose of anti-CSI effect instructions?
To remind jurors that the prosecution's case does not necessarily require forensic evidence
What insight do judges provide regarding the CSI effect?
They are skeptical about the existence of the CSI effect
Which state has a more permissive attitude toward the defense drawing attention to the prosecution's failure to present forensic evidence?
Massachusetts
What is the defensive tactic known as when the defense requests an instruction stating that a reasonable doubt may arise from law enforcement's failure to adequately investigate the crime?
Bowden defense
Which case represents an anomaly with regard to Massachusetts's permission of Bowden defenses?
Commonwealth v. Seng (2010)
What did the court of appeals in Commonwealth v. Seng (2010) remark about instructions given by the trial judge?
They are typically problematic and unnecessary
What is one commonly used remedial measure to combat the CSI effect during jury selection?
Removing jurors who bring the CSI effect into the courtroom
What did the court in Massachusetts v. Gray decide regarding questions about the absence of DNA or fingerprint evidence during jury selection?
The questions were permissible
How do courts generally view measures designed to counter the CSI effect?
Courts are generally skeptical of such measures
What do attorneys sometimes do during closing arguments to address the CSI effect?
Explain the divergence between real life and CSI
Which of the following best describes the courts' stance on the CSI effect?
Courts tend to be skeptical of the CSI effect and restrict the use of anti-CSI effect measures.
What is the impact of the CSI effect on prosecutors?
The CSI effect makes it more difficult for prosecutors to convict guilty parties.
What is one potential drawback of the CSI effect research?
The research is underpowered to find small effects.
What is one potential impact of the CSI effect on prosecutors' behavior?
Prosecutors lose confidence in the quality of their case.
What is the purpose of anti-CSI effect instructions given to the jury?
To inform the jury that the prosecution need not produce forensic evidence
What is the primary factor considered when deciding to use anti-CSI effect instructions?
Whether the instructions clearly state that the standard is still guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
According to Judge Harrell, what is the real issue in anti-CSI effect instruction cases?
The defense's undue insinuation that law enforcement's failure to perform a specific technique bears on the state's burden of proof
In which situation are anti-CSI effect instructions considered permissible?
When the defense overreaches and implies that the State had some obligation to use some forensic technique
Which of the following is an example of scientific physical evidence mentioned in the text?
Ballistics analysis
When was forensic evidence first documented?
7th century
In what types of criminal cases is forensic evidence particularly important?
Murder and mayhem
Which of the following is NOT a potential material that qualifies as forensic evidence?
DNA
According to the text, what is the term used to describe the phenomenon where jurors expect irrefutable forensic evidence, such as DNA and fingerprint analysis, to be present in cases that go to trial?
The CSI Effect
What is the main impact of the 'CSI Effect' on defense attorneys?
It makes their job more difficult
What is the primary factor considered when deciding to use anti-CSI effect instructions?
The preferences of the judge
Which of the following is an example of scientific physical evidence discussed in the text?
Fingerprints
What is the significance of the book 'Xi Yuan Ji Lu' in the field of forensic science?
It was the first record of applying medical knowledge to solve crimes
In what types of criminal cases is forensic evidence particularly important?
Murder
Which of the following is NOT a potential material that qualifies as forensic evidence?
Eyewitness testimony
In cases that involve forensic evidence, why are judges or juries more likely to find favor with the side that presents the most compelling forensic argument?
Because forensic evidence is more objective and based on science
What is the impact of the 'CSI Effect' on defense attorneys?
It makes their job more difficult
What is the primary reason jurors increasingly expect irrefutable forensic evidence in cases that go to trial?
Because of the influence of television shows like 'CSI'
Which of the following is a reason why it is difficult to prove or disprove an alibi where the subject was alone or at a function where no one would remember them?
The subject may not have anyone who can verify their alibi.
What is the basic principle of breaking an alibi?
Getting the subject to change their story.
What is one reason why it is harder for a truthful person to change their story when challenged?
They have no other story to tell.
Which one of these is NOT a way to present challenging information to a subject?
Present fictitious information about the crime scene
What is the most important element when presenting evidence to break the subject's alibi?
The subject's acceptance that our story is true
What is one example of evidence from the crime scene that can put the subject at the scene?
Video camera footage
What is one example of evidence from the alibi location that can challenge the subject's claim?
An emergency broadcast during a movie
Which of the following is a method used to help eliminate possible suspects in an investigation?
Ascertaining their alibi
What is the main goal when breaking an alibi?
To get the subject to change their story
Why is it difficult for a person with a false alibi to construct a story?
It is hard to consider every possible element
Which of the following is a strategy for presenting challenging information to a subject?
Present information about their alibi location
What is one example of evidence that can put a person at the crime scene?
Surveillance camera footage
What is one example of false information that can be introduced at the subject's alibi location?
A fabricated incident at a movie theater
What does it mean if a person changes their story to accommodate new and fictitious evidence?
They are guilty
Test your knowledge of the weak prosecutor's effect and how it influences the strategies and perceptions of prosecutors. Explore the connection between jurors' expectations of forensic science, the influence of popular shows like CSI, and the remedial measures taken by prosecutors.
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