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Joanna Pozzulo Rebecca Mugford

CarletonUniversityCarletonUniversity

Craig Bennell Julie Blais

CarletonUniversityCarletonUniversity

Adelle ForthLaura Hanby

CarletonUniversityCarletonUniversity

Forensic Psychology

Second Edition

Joanna Pozzulo

Craig Bennell

Adelle Forth

Toronto

Contents

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Chapter 2 Police Psychology

Chapter 3 The Psychology of Police Investigations

Chapter 4 Deception

Chapter 5 Eyewitness Testimony

Chapter 6 Child Victims and Witnesses

Chapter 7 Juries: Fact Finders

Chapter 8 The Role of Mental Illness in Court

Chapter 9 Sentencing and Parole in Canada: Practices and Public Opinions

Chapter 10 Domestic Violence and Sexual Offenders

Chapter 11 Homicidal and Psychopathic Offenders

Chapter 12 Risk Assessment

Chapter 13 Assessment and Treatment of Young, Female, and Aboriginal Offenders

CHAPTER 1

An Introduction to Forensic Psychology

MULTIPLE CHOICE

  1. Which of the following is not a likely activity of a clinical forensic psychologist?
  1. studying the effects of stress on eyewitness recall
  2. evaluating the parents of a troubled teen for custody and access recommendations
  3. providing expert testimony
  4. assessing juvenile delinquents in detention centres for behavioural problems
  5. practising relaxation techniques with police officers on leave due to burnout

Answer: a Difficulty: easyPage: 3-4

  1. What is the main difference between clinical forensic psychologists and forensic psychiatrists?
  1. clinical forensic psychologists cannot provide expert testimony in court
  2. forensic psychiatrists cannot prescribe medication
  3. clinical forensic psychologists cannot prescribe medication
  4. forensic psychiatrists concentrate more on a medical model of mental illness
  5. both c and d

Answer: eDifficulty: moderatePage: 4

  1. Which task is likely to be performed by an experimental forensic psychologist?
  1. examining the effects of judges’ instructions on jury verdicts
  2. providing expert testimony
  3. examining the effects of correctional programs on recidivism (i.e., reoffending) rates
  4. studying the effects of police stress on job satisfaction
  5. all of the above

Answer: e Difficulty: easyPage: 5-6

  1. According to Haney (1980), which of the following is not one of the ways psychology and the law interact?
  1. psychology of the law
  2. psychology with the law
  3. psychology and the law
  4. psychology in the law
  5. all of the above are ways in which psychology and the law interact

Answer: bDifficulty: easyPage: 6

  1. Which of the following is an example of “psychology in the law”?
  1. a psychologist providing expert testimony on the accuracy of eyewitness identification
  2. examining how we can improve the assessment of competency to stand trial
  3. validating a tool for predicting risk of violence
  4. a researcher examining the factors that affect use-of-force decision-making by police officers
  5. none of the above

Answer: a Difficulty: easy Page: 6-7

  1. Judges currently use findings from psychological research to decide whether a witness on the stand is lying or not. This is a good example of:
  1. psychology and the law
  2. psychology in the law
  3. informational influence
  4. normalization
  5. psychology of the law

Answer: b Difficulty: easy Page: 7

  1. The “M’Naughten Rule” is most closely related to:
  1. inmate psychopathy
  2. child witnesses
  3. eyewitness lineups
  4. expert testimony
  5. insanity defence

Answer: e Difficulty: easy Page: 9

  1. Place the following events in chronological order:

1-Cattell conducts the first experiment in North America on the psychology of testimony

2-APA recognizes forensic psychology as a speciality discipline

3-Daniel M’Naughten is found not guilty by reason of insanity

4-Canadian Robert Hare begins studying psychopathy

  1. 4, 2, 3, 1
  2. 3, 4, 2, 1
  3. 4, 3, 2, 1
  4. 1, 2, 3, 4
  5. 3, 1, 4, 2

Answer: e Difficulty: moderate Page: 9

  1. The following psychologist was the first to propose a testable theory of criminal behaviour:
  1. Bandura
  2. Freud
  3. Munsterberg
  4. Eysenck
  5. Marston

Answer: d Difficulty: easy Page: 9, 16

  1. A researcher arranges for a confederate to enter his classroom, steal his wallet, and run out. The researcher then asks the students to provide a description of the “offender” in an effort to study eyewitness recall. This is an example of:
  1. a verifiable experiment
  2. a virtual experiment
  3. a reality experiment
  4. a misinformation test
  5. a subjective recall test

Answer: c Difficulty: easy Page: 9

  1. Stern’s 1901 “reality experiment” involved a bogus quarrel between two students in which a gun was involved. Stern concluded that:
  1. racial discrimination is common
  2. pretrial media has a strong influence
  3. retroactive memory-falsification tends to occur
  4. emotional arousal influences accuracy of recall
  5. none of the above

Answer: d Difficulty: easy Page: 9

  1. Which of the following psychologists would be most interested in the expert testimony provided by Von Schrenck-Notzing in 1896?
  1. a psychologist interested in the diagnosis of juvenile delinquents
  2. a psychologist interested in the effect of pretrial press coverage
  3. a psychologist interested in the problems with hypnotic interviewing
  4. a psychologist interested in the accuracy of child eyewitnesses
  5. a psychologist interested in lie detection

Answer: b Difficulty: easy Page: 10

  1. Which of the following psychologists would be most interested in a murder trial in which the prosecutor wanted to submit evidence from two children who had supposedly witnessed the defendant committing the crime?
  1. Varendonck
  2. Bandura
  3. Marston
  4. Von Schrenck-Notzing
  5. none of the above

Answer: a Difficulty: easy Page: 10

  1. Which of the following psychologists would be most interested in the expert testimony provided by Varendonck in 1911?
  1. a psychologist interested in the diagnosis of juvenile delinquents
  2. a psychologist interested in the effect of pretrial press coverage
  3. a psychologist interested in the problems with hypnotic interviewing
  4. a psychologist interested in the accuracy of child eyewitnesses
  5. a psychologist interested in factors that influence jury decision-making

Answer: d Difficulty: easy Page: 10

  1. Who is considered the father of forensic psychology?
  1. John Henry Wigmore
  2. Wilhelm Wundt
  3. James Ogloff
  4. James Cattell
  5. Hugo Munsterberg

Answer: e Difficulty: easy Page: 10-11

  1. The case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) has been cited as a significant case in the development of psychology and the law. On what issue in this case did psychologists submit a brief to the Supreme Court?
  1. prejudice and discrimination
  2. intelligence
  3. aggression
  4. inclusion of mitigating factors in capital hearing decisions
  5. gender differences and preferential treatment

Answer: a Difficulty: easy Page: 12

  1. What was the main issue in the case of Jenkins v. United States (1962)?
  1. the right to plead not guilty by reason of insanity
  2. the duty to inform a third party
  3. the duty to report suspected child abuse
  4. the allowance of expert testimony from psychologists
  5. the use of psychology in civil trials

Answer: d Difficulty: easy Page: 12-13

  1. Which of the following theories of crime emphasizes the role of dynamic internal forces?
  1. learning theories of crime
  2. personality theories of crime
  3. psychoanalytic theories of crime
  4. biological theories of crime
  5. sociological theories of crime

Answer: cDifficulty: easyPage: 14

  1. John Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation is an example of:
  1. a learning theory of crime
  2. a strain theory of crime
  3. a sociological theory of crime
  4. a psychoanalytic theory of crime
  5. none of the above

Answer: d Difficulty: easy Page: 14

  1. According to Sheldon’s (1949) Constitutional Theory, which of the following are most likely to become involved with crime?
  1. ectomorphs
  2. mesomorphs
  3. those with lesions in the temporal lobe
  4. those having suffered from maternal deprivation
  5. men with two Y-chromosomes

Answer: b Difficulty: easy Page: 15

  1. Which of the following is not a sociological theory of crime?
  1. differential association theory
  2. social control theory
  3. dyscontrol theory
  4. strain theory
  5. all of the above are sociological theories of crime

Answer: c Difficulty: easy Page: 15

  1. Which of the following theorists is most closely associated with learning theories of crime?
  1. Merton
  2. Becker
  3. Sutherland
  4. Bowlby
  5. Bandura

Answer: e Difficulty: easy Page: 16

  1. According to Eysenck, which of the following would be at risk for criminal behaviour?
  1. someone who is cortically underaroused
  2. someone with poor conditionability
  3. someone with high levels of extraversion and neuroticism
  4. someone who is difficult to socialize
  5. all of the above

Answer: e Difficulty: moderate Page: 17-18

  1. Which of the following has occurred that indicates that forensic psychology has established itself as a field?
  1. the development of professional associations that represent the interests of forensic psychologists
  2. a consensus on the definition of forensic psychology
  3. the fact that forensic psychologists now regularly take on the role of legal scholar
  4. the criteria for admitting the expert testimony of forensic psychologists have become more lenient
  5. all of the above

Answer: a Difficulty: easyPage: 18

  1. What is the main difference between an expert witness and other witnesses in court?
  1. expert witnesses are not cross-examined
  2. expert witnesses can only testify about what they directly observed
  3. expert witnesses are able to offer their opinion to the court
  4. expert witnesses are only available for the prosecution
  5. both a and c

Answer: cDifficulty: moderatePage: 20

  1. Hess (1987, 1999) describes seven dimensions along which law and psychology differ. Which of the following statements is false?
  1. psychology is nomothetic and law is idiographic
  2. psychology is prescriptive and law is descriptive
  3. psychological knowledge is gained through research and legal knowledge is gained through precedent
  4. a psychologist’s behaviour is severely limited within the court while the behaviour of a lawyer is less restricted
  5. psychology believes in the quest for objective truths whereas the law defines truth subjectively

Answer: b Difficulty: moderate Page: 21

  1. According to Hess (1987, 1999), which of the following accurately represents a dimension along which law and psychology can be contrasted?
  1. law is idiographic while psychology is nomothetic
  2. law is descriptive while psychology is prescriptive
  3. law is proactive while psychology is reactive
  4. law is academic while psychology is operational
  5. law defined truth objectively while psychology defines truth subjectively

Answer: a Difficulty: moderate Page: 21

  1. Which of the following was not identified by Hess (1987, 1999) as a dimension along which law and psychology differ?
  1. latitude
  2. principles
  3. criteria
  4. purpose
  5. epistemology

Answer: dDifficulty: moderatePage: 21

  1. The “general acceptance test” relates to:
  1. eyewitness recall
  2. child witnesses
  3. aggression and segregation in schools
  4. suggestive questioning techniques
  5. admissibility of expert testimony

Answer: e Difficulty: easy Page: 22

  1. What would be considered the most ethical behaviour for a psychologist hired as an expert witness?
  1. provide testimony consistent with the party that hired you
  2. ensure the other party also has an expert witness
  3. provide testimony relevant to the case as you understand it
  4. discuss your testimony with both the defence and the prosecution team
  5. provide a written report rather than testify in person

Answer: c Difficulty: easy Page: 20, 22-23

  1. Which of the following is not specified by the Daubert criteria on the issue of determining the validity of scientific evidence?
  1. the research adheres to professional standards
  2. the research is non-falsifiable
  3. the research has been peer reviewed
  4. the research has a recognized rate of error
  5. all of the above are specified by the Daubert criteria

Answer: b Difficulty: moderate Page: 23

  1. Why is the case of R. v. Mohan (1994) so important to forensic psychologists?
  1. it stressed the duty to protect a third party
  2. it dealt with the admissibility of expert evidence
  3. it established guidelines for reporting child abuse
  4. it highlighted the importance of client confidentiality
  5. it dealt with the issue of racial segregation

Answer: b Difficulty: easy Page: 23

  1. According to R. v. Mohan (1994), which is not a consideration when determining the admissibility of expert testimony?
  1. the expert must be qualified
  2. the testimony must provide information that goes beyond the jurors’ common understanding
  3. the evidence provided must be necessary for assisting the trier of fact
  4. the testimony must have been allowed into evidence by a higher court
  5. the evidence must not violate any rules of exclusion

Answer: d Difficulty: moderate Page: 23

  1. What is the significance of the case of R. v. McIntosh and McCarthy (1997)?
  1. it dealt with racial segregation
  2. it dealt with problems associated with the Mohan criteria
  3. it dealt with issues associated with the insanity defence
  4. it highlighted the importance of voluntary confessions
  5. it established guidelines for cross-examination

Answer: bDifficulty: easyPage: 24

SHORT ANSWER

  1. Provide a comprehensive (i.e., broad) definition of forensic psychology.

Answer:

  • According to Bartol and Bartol (2006), forensic psychology is defined as (a) the research endeavour that examines aspects of human behaviour directly related to the legal process and (b) the professional practice of psychology within, or in consultation with, a legal system that embraces both civil and criminal law.

Difficulty: easy Page: 3

  1. According to Haney (1980), there are three primary ways in which psychology and law relate to one another. Name, define, and provide an example of each.

Answer:

  1. Psychology and the law
  • Psychology is viewed as a separate discipline from the law and is used to study various assumptions made by the legal system
  • E.g., validation of risk assessment tools
  1. Psychology in the law
  • Psychological knowledge is applied directly within the context of the legal system
  • E.g., provision of expert testimony about eyewitness identification
  1. Psychology of the law
  • Psychology is used to study the law itself
  • E.g., a legal scholar examining whether certain laws have helped to reduce the crime rate

Difficulty: challenging Page: 6-7

  1. What are the three major categories of psychological theories of crime discussed in your text? Briefly explain and provide an example of a specific theory that fits each category.

Answer:

  1. Psychoanalytic theories
  • Criminal behaviour is accounted for by dynamic internal forces
  • Focus on childhood events and experiences
  • E.g., Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
  1. Learning theories
  • All behaviour, including criminal behaviour, is based upon principles of conditioning (i.e., behaviour is learned and maintained by its consequences)
  • E.g., Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
  1. Personality theories
  • Criminal behaviour is explained by certain specific personality traits that are either developed or inherited
  • E.g., Eysenck’s contention that those high in neuroticism and high in extraversion are more prone to criminality

Difficulty: moderate Page: 14-18

  1. What are the three biological theories of crime mentioned in the text? Briefly discuss each.

Answer:

  1. Sheldon’s Constitutional Theory
  • Crime is largely a product of an individual’s temperament, which is linked to one’s body build
  • Mesomorphs tend to be more aggressive and, thus, are more likely to engage in criminal behaviour
  1. Jacobs, Brunton, and Melville’s Chromosomal Theory
  • Criminal behaviour is related to chromosomal irregularity (i.e., men with two Y chromosomes)
  1. Mark and Ervin’s Dyscontrol Theory
  • Lesions in the temporal lobe and limbic system create a lack of inhibitory control, leading to aggressive outbursts

Difficulty: challenging Page: 15

  1. What are the three sociological theories of crime mentioned in the text? Briefly discuss each.

Answer:

  1. Merton’s Strain Theory
  • Crime can be attributed to strain felt by individuals of the lower class with restricted access to societal goals (e.g., financial assets)
  • Certain members of this lower class are driven to engage in illegitimate means to attain these goals
  1. Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory
  • Criminal behaviour is learned via one’s social interactions
  • Individuals who are exposed to and learn more pro-criminal values versus prosocial values will be more likely to engage in criminal activity
  1. Hirschi’s Social Control Theory
  • Individuals possess certain bonds with society and the strength of these bonds control their behaviour, including the likelihood that they will engage in criminal behaviour
  • Examples of the bonds that determine criminal behaviour are those coming from attachment to others, commitment to conventional norms, involvement in conventional activities, and belief in the societal values
  • If these bonds weaken, criminal behaviour is more likely

Difficulty: challenging Page: 15

  1. According to Ogloff and Cronshaw (2001), what are the two main functions of expert witnesses? Also, how do expert witnesses differ from ordinary witnesses in court?

Answer:

  • The two main functions of expert witnesses are to provide the court with information that assists them in understanding the issues at hand, and to provide the court with an opinion (which must fall within the limits of their areas of expertise)
  • Expert witnesses differ from ordinary witnesses in that they are able to provide their opinion on a particular matter, whereas ordinary witnesses are only able to testify about what they have directly observed

Difficulty: moderatePage: 20

  1. Hess (1987, 1999) discusses at least seven different dimensions along which psychology and law differ. List four of these dimensions and define precisely what they mean.

Answer:

  1. Knowledge
  • In psychology, knowledge is gained through cumulative research
  • In the law, knowledge is acquired through precedent, logical thinking, and case law
  1. Methodology
  • In psychology, methods are predominantly nomothetic (i.e., goal is to uncover general trends)
  • In the law, the methodological approach is idiographic (i.e., operates on a case-by-case basis)
  1. Nature of law
  • Psychology is descriptive, the goal being to describe how people behave
  • Law is prescriptive, telling people how they should behave
  1. Epistemology
  • In psychology, it is assumed that there is an objective truth that can potentially be uncovered through the experimental method
  • In the law, truth is defined subjectively and is based on who can present the most convincing argument
  1. Principles
  • In psychology, alternative explanations are considered (i.e., falsifiability)
  • The lawyer’s goal is to convince the court that his/her explanation is solely correct
  1. Criteria
  • Psychology is cautious and conservative in accepting a hypothesis as true (results must be replicated, etc.)
  • Law decides truth on the basis of a single case and a criterion that is far more lenient
  1. Latitude
  • The behaviour of a psychologist providing expert testimony in court is severely restricted
  • The behaviour of a lawyer within the court is subject to far less restrictions

The student need only provide four of the seven dimensions to receive full marks.

Difficulty: moderate Page: 21

  1. What is the “general acceptance test”? What is the main criticism associated with this test?

Answer:

  • The general acceptance test is a standard for accepting testimony that states that expert testimony will be admissible in court if the basis of the testimony is generally accepted within the scientific community in which it belongs
  • It formed the basis for the admissibility of expert testimony for many years in the United States; however, the major criticism associated with it comes from the vagueness of terms such as “general acceptance” and “the particular field in which it belongs” and whether judges are able to appropriately determine the scope of these terms

Difficulty: moderatePage: 22