Deck 1: Section 3: Psychology and Law: a Cautious Alliance

Question 1

After Daubert, judges are more likely to:

A) permit expert testimony in federal cases.
B) exclude expert testimony even if it's based on valid science.
C) allow expert testimony, but only with regard to competency to stand trial.
D) be required to obtain education in social scientific research methods.

Answer 1

exclude expert testimony even if it's based on valid science.

Question 2

Which of the following scientists did NOT play a prominent role in the history of forensic psychology?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) Alfred Adler
C) Hugo Münsterberg
D) Karl Llewellyn

Answer 2

Alfred Adler

Question 3

Muller v. Oregon (1908) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954) are considered landmark cases in the history of forensic psychology because they:

A) clarified the role of psychologists testifying as experts.
B) allowed psychologists to testify on insanity defense.
C) allowed women to get mandatory high school education.
D) signified the use of social science research in court rulings.

Answer 3

signified the use of social science research in court rulings.

Question 4

The style of inquiry in the U.S. legal system is _____, whereas in psychology it is _____.

A) advocacy; objectivity
B) objectivity; empiricism
C) empiricism; authority
D) authority; objectivity

Question 5

All of these aspects of the adversarial legal system are uncomfortable for scientists EXCEPT:

A) the desire for learning the truth.
B) the focus on individual cases rather than general patterns.
C) the avoidance of uncertainty.
D) the promotion of a one-sided view of facts.

Question 6

The legal realism movement that has re-energized the dormant field of law and social science in the late 1920s and 1930s has all of the following as its key principles, EXCEPT:

A) laws reflect immutable principles found in nature.
B) laws must be continually re-examined and adjusted.
C) law is one of the tools to make society better.
D) law is only as good as its effects.

Question 7

Judges _____ the use of brain scans in the courtroom claiming that the scientific value of this evidence _____.

A) gladly accept; is exceptional
B) routinely deny; is not established
C) never accept; only applies in brain injury cases
D) often allow; can be correctly interpreted during expert testimony

Question 8

Which organization was founded in 1969 by psychologists who were interested in the legal system?

A) American Association of Forensic Psychology.
B) Association of Legal and Clinical Psychology.
C) International Association of Legal Psychology.
D) American Psychology-Law Society.

Question 9

Scientific studies evaluating the D.A.R.E. program found that the program _____ because "just say no" to drugs _____.

A) works well; is a highly effective slogan
B) is only effective in reducing social drug use; changes brain patterns
C) increases the use of alcohol and tobacco; creates an impression that substances other than drugs are not as bad in comparison
D) reduces not only the use of drugs but of alcohol and tobacco as well; easily translates into saying no to other harmful substances as well

Question 10

_____ tells us how people actually behave, whereas _____ tells us how people are supposed to behave.

A) Law; psychology
B) Psychology; law
C) Science; nature
D) Nature; science

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of the four guidelines established by Daubert?

A) Falsifiability of the technique.
B) A known error rate.
C) General acceptance in the scientific community.
D) Review by appellate courts.

Question 12

The Daubert standard of admissibility _____, so two different judges _____ about what meets the Daubert standard.

A) is exceptionally clear and straightforward; would easily agree
B) leaves plenty of room for interpretation; may disagree
C) can be misinterpreted easily; may have to ask for appellate review
D) is reasonably understandable; can always arrive at the same conclusion

Question 13

Research presented in Chapter 1 suggests that most state court judges _____ their gatekeeping role established in Daubert _____ adequately define the four guidelines for admissibility.

A) do not support; because they cannot
B) support; and they can
C) do not support; though they can
D) support; whereas they cannot

Question 14

In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court make explicit use of research provided by social scientists for the first time?

A) Brown v. Board of Education.
B) Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
C) General Electric Co. v. Joiner.
D) Brandeis v. United States.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of amicus curiae briefs over expert testimony?

A) Research studies cited in the brief are listed in a reference section.
B) Amicus curiae briefs are typically written by a team of researchers.
C) Amicus curiae briefs are often reviewed by a professional organization.
D) Amicus curiae briefs are typically more expensive to produce.