Question 1

Hugo is interrogated alone and told repeatedly that his guilt is corroborated by both physical evidence and eyewitness accounts. This approach most likely embodies the following strategy that the police used during Hugo's interrogation:

Accepted Answer

This approach is indicative of the strategy to make Hugo feel socially isolated by interrogating him alone and to impress upon him the certainty of his guilt through mentions of physical evidence and eyewitness accounts. This combination aims to break down his resistance and make him more likely to confess.

Question 2

In the United Kingdom, the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act was enacted to make it illegal to trick suspects or to lie for the purpose of coercing suspects to confess. Studies show that _____ of pressure tactics and trickery, suspects are _____ likely to admit guilt.

Accepted Answer

Despite the implementation of the PACE Act, studies have shown that the likelihood of suspects admitting guilt has not significantly changed, even with the reduction of pressure tactics and trickery.

Question 3

Jack was extremely uncomfortable with admitting to a crime against a minor so he kept denying any involvement. The interrogator has been very understanding and nice, and suggested that Jack had committed the crime without realizing the victim was a minor, since she looked so mature and acted like an adult. This situation illustrates a combination of which influence strategies inherent in the Reid technique?

Accepted Answer

The interrogator's approach suggests certainty of guilt by implying Jack committed the crime, and uses minimization of culpability by suggesting the victim looked mature, thus reducing the perceived severity of the crime.

Question 4

All of the following traits can be defined as vulnerabilities to making a false confession, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

High aggression is not typically considered a vulnerability to making a false confession. Vulnerabilities such as youth, mental illness, and low intelligence can make individuals more susceptible to the pressures of interrogation, leading to a higher risk of false confessions. High aggression, on the other hand, does not have a direct link to increased susceptibility to false confessions.

Question 5

Jillian had often suffered from a delusional behavior disorder. When brought in for questioning, she started out by confessing to a crime that she had taken no part in. The term used for this type of false confession is an:

Accepted Answer

Jillian's confession to a crime she didn't commit, without external pressure, is an example of an internalized-voluntary confession. This occurs when an individual, due to delusional beliefs or confusion, voluntarily confesses to a crime they did not commit, without coercion from external forces.

Question 6

There are several vulnerabilities to making a false confession. The most dangerous vulnerability, according to the text, is:

Accepted Answer

Youth is considered the most dangerous vulnerability to making a false confession due to their impressionability and potential lack of understanding of the legal system and the consequences of their actions.

Question 7

The purpose of exculpatory scenarios is to:

Accepted Answer

Exculpatory scenarios are used to make a suspect feel more comfortable confessing by providing them with a justification or excuse for their actions, thereby increasing the likelihood of a confession.

Question 8

Desiree has been sitting in the interrogation room for a while. She is not sure how long the interrogation can last or even if she can ask for food and water. She gets increasingly uncomfortable and worried. This situation illustrates which one of the four basic influence strategies inherent in the Reid technique?

Accepted Answer

The situation described illustrates the "Loss of control" strategy, where the environment and conditions (such as being in an interrogation room for an unspecified amount of time without access to basic needs) are manipulated to make the person feel powerless and more likely to comply or communicate.

Question 9

Police may use a variety of evidence ploys during interrogation. This is possible because:

Accepted Answer

Police can use deceptive tactics, including lying about evidence, during interrogations to elicit confessions or information from suspects. This practice is legally permitted in many jurisdictions.

Question 10

The Reid technique is _____ used by police in the United States when questioning suspects. Establishing a sense of loss of control as part of this technique makes suspects feel _____.

Accepted Answer

The Reid technique is often used by police in the United States when questioning suspects, and it involves psychological strategies, including establishing a sense of loss of control, which makes suspects feel vulnerable.

Question 11

Because of a long, exhausting interrogation, Kathryn just wanted the questioning to stop, so she confessed to the crime knowing that she did not commit it. This type of confession is called an:

Accepted Answer

Instrumental-coerced confessions occur when individuals confess to a crime they know they did not commit due to external pressures or coercion, such as a long, exhausting interrogation, with the primary goal of ending the interrogation or obtaining a benefit.

Question 12

According to the text, there are several likely reasons that innocent suspects may admit to a crime they know they did not commit. Which one of the following is NOT such a reason?

Accepted Answer

Interrogation techniques are typically designed to break down a suspect's resistance and are not aimed at helping the suspect sustain self-regulation.

Question 13

Which one of the following statements about the video recording of interrogations is INCORRECT?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which one of the following statements about...

Question 14

According to the text, all of the following statements about false confessions are true, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that false confessions are not extremely rare, and they can and do occur for various reasons. The statement that false confessions are extremely rare contradicts evidence from wrongful conviction data and research on the subject, which indicates that false confessions are a significant factor in a notable percentage of wrongful convictions.

Question 15

Jeremy purposely confessed to a crime he did not commit to cover up for his wife. This type of confession is referred to as an:

Accepted Answer

Instrumental-voluntary confessions occur when an individual confesses to a crime they did not commit without being coerced by external forces, often to protect someone else or for some personal gain or reason. In this case, Jeremy's action of confessing to protect his wife is a clear example of an instrumental-voluntary confession.

Question 16

After an intense interrogation process, Matthew became convinced that he robbed the store since all physical evidence pointed at him. This form of false confession is called an:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of an internalized-coerced confession, where the individual, due to intense interrogation and the presentation of fabricated evidence, becomes convinced that they committed the crime, even if they did not.

Question 17

All of the following statements are true about the use of torture in interrogations, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

There is a consensus among experts and a substantial amount of research indicating that torture is not an effective means of extracting reliable information. It is more likely to result in false confessions than useful intelligence, making statement C incorrect.

Question 18

Based on the text, the advantage of information-gathering techniques over accusatorial methods is that:

Accepted Answer

Information-gathering techniques are advantageous because they not only increase the number of true confessions like accusatorial methods but also reduce the number of false confessions, making them more reliable for accurate information collection.

Question 19

Michelle is in custody and being interrogated. One of the police officers is being nice and tries to empathize with her while the other one glares at her and accuses her of having committed the crime because of her greed. The behavior of the police officers is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The behavior of the police officers is an example of the "good cop-bad cop" approach, where one officer acts aggressively and the other acts sympathetically towards the suspect to create psychological pressure and encourage cooperation.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT likely to lead to a false confession?

Accepted Answer

Suspect's confidence is less likely to lead to a false confession because a confident suspect is more likely to maintain their innocence and resist pressure to confess falsely.

Quiz 2: Presents Several Potential Solutions to the Problem of False Confessions Which of the Following Is Not One of These Solutions