Question 1

Which statement about criminal commitment is accurate ?

Accepted Answer

Criminal commitment refers to the incarceration of someone for having committed a crime.

Question 2

The Durham (1954) decision suggested that insanity was ____.

Accepted Answer

The Durham decision of 1954 suggested that insanity was a product of mental disease or defect as defined by mental health professionals, marking a shift towards a more medical approach to assessing insanity in legal contexts.

Question 3

The purpose of such new verdicts as "guilty, but mentally ill" and "culpable and mentally disabled" is to ____.

Accepted Answer

These verdicts aim to acknowledge the presence of mental illness while still holding individuals accountable for their actions, thus separating the issue of mental illness from the concept of personal responsibility.

Question 4

In the case of Kenneth Bianchi, psychologists sought to determine whether his criminal behavior was actually due to the disorder called ____.

Accepted Answer

Kenneth Bianchi, one of the "Hillside Stranglers," claimed to have multiple personality disorder (now known as dissociative identity disorder) as a defense during his trial. Psychologists and experts were tasked with determining the validity of his claim, which was later found to be fabricated.

Question 5

Pleas such as "culpable and mentally disabled," "mentally disabled, but neither culpable nor innocent," and "guilty, but mentally ill" allows ____.

Accepted Answer

These pleas allow jurors to convict individuals while also acknowledging their mental illness and ensuring they receive treatment, reflecting a balance between responsibility for actions and care for mental health.

Question 6

Which of the following broadened the criteria established in M'Naghten for using the insanity defense?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following broadened the criteria...

Question 7

When lawyers for Dan White, murderer of two San Francisco government officials, argued that his behavior was partially due to a diet of junk food, which legal concept was being used?

Accepted Answer

The lawyers for Dan White used the "diminished capacity" defense, arguing that his mental state at the time of the murders was impaired, and therefore, he could not be held fully responsible for his actions. This defense suggests that while the defendant may not be entirely innocent, their mental capabilities were diminished to a point that reduces the severity of the charge.

Question 8

The insanity defense is used in____ of cases and is ____ successful.

Accepted Answer

The insanity defense is used in less than one percent of cases and is rarely successful.

Question 9

An attorney says to his client, "If we can convince the judge that when you shot your mother, you either did not know it was a criminal thing to do or could not control your behavior because you had a mental disease or defect (other than antisocial conduct), you should be found not guilty by reason of insanity." What legal standard is the attorney describing?

Accepted Answer

The attorney is describing the American Law Institute Model Penal Code standard for insanity, which includes elements of not knowing the wrongfulness of the act or being unable to conform conduct to the law due to a mental disease or defect.

Question 10

At one time, psychologists were primarily involved in evaluating criminal defendants for competency to stand trial. Now psychologists ____.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists now evaluate civil defendants for competency to stand trial.

Question 11

Which statement is accurate regarding the term insanity ?

Accepted Answer

Insanity is indeed a legal concept rather than a specific clinical diagnosis. It refers to a defendant's inability to understand the wrongfulness of their actions at the time of the crime, and various standards are used across different jurisdictions to assess this.

Question 12

One thing that John Hinckley, James Holmes, and Brian David Mitchell have in common is that they all ____.

Accepted Answer

All three individuals, John Hinckley, James Holmes, and Brian David Mitchell, used the insanity defense during their trials.

Question 13

What is a question raised by the Tarasoff ruling?

Accepted Answer

The Tarasoff ruling specifically addresses the therapist's duty to warn potential victims if a client poses a serious risk of violence, thus raising questions about when it is legally and ethically permissible to breach confidentiality.

Question 14

Due to a mental condition, Jonathan seems unable to feed or care for himself. His family wants to put him in a treatment facility against his will. Joanna has told her therapist that she plans to kill her husband. The therapist is contemplating breaching this confidence so that the husband can be warned. Which case involves behavior that has legal and ethical implications?

Accepted Answer

Both cases involve behavior with legal and ethical implications. Jonathan's case involves the ethical and legal considerations of involuntary commitment for someone unable to care for themselves. Joanna's case involves the duty to warn, where a therapist may need to breach confidentiality to prevent harm to others.

Question 15

Which case is correctly matched with the issue it is used to illustrate?

Accepted Answer

The Tarasoff case is correctly matched as it established the precedent that mental health professionals have a duty to protect individuals who are being threatened with bodily harm by a patient. This includes breaching confidentiality if necessary to warn the potential victim.

Question 16

The basic premise of criminal law in the United States suggests that behavior is ____.

Accepted Answer

The basic premise of criminal law in the United States is that individuals have free will and make choices about their behavior, including the choice to engage in criminal activity. This concept underlies the notion of personal responsibility and accountability in the legal system.

Question 17

What legal ruling established that defendants can be acquitted of a crime if it is proven that during the act of the crime the individual did not know the nature of his or her actions or did not know that what he or she was doing was wrong?

Accepted Answer

The M'Naghten Rule established that a defendant could be acquitted of a crime if it is proven that at the time of committing the act, the individual was suffering from such a defect of reason, from a disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing, or if he did know it, that he did not know he was doing what was wrong. This rule focuses on the defendant's ability to understand the nature of the act and to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the crime.

Question 18

Which of the following accurately pairs the insanity rule with its description?

Accepted Answer

The irresistible impulse rule refers to a defendant's inability to control their actions due to mental illness, making them unable to resist committing a crime, which aligns with the description of a lack of willpower or control over behavior.

Question 19

A man who had delusions and hallucinations that told him to kill his parents is found not guilty by reason of insanity because, at the time of the crime, he did not know right from wrong. This insanity verdict ____.

Accepted Answer

The M'Naghten Rule is a legal standard for insanity that states a defendant is considered legally insane if, at the time of the crime, they were so deranged that they did not understand the nature and quality of their actions or, if they did, were unable to discern that what they were doing was wrong. This man's inability to know right from wrong due to his delusions and hallucinations aligns with the criteria set by the M'Naghten Rule.

Question 20

After John W. Hinckley, Jr. was acquitted of attempting to assassinate President Reagan on the basis of his plea of "not guilty by reason of insanity," ____.

Accepted Answer

The Insanity Reform Act of 1984 was passed in response to the public outcry after John W. Hinckley, Jr.'s acquittal, changing the criteria for the insanity defense in federal courts.

Quiz 17: Law and Ethics in Abnormal Psychology