Eyewitness Testimony: Accuracy, Reliability, and Suggestibility

Question 1

The process by which new information can alter or distort existing memories is known as:

Accepted Answer

Misinformation effect

Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Encoding

Answer

Reconstruction

Question 2

The cognitive framework that influences how we interpret events is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Cognitive schema

Answer

Implicit bias

Answer

Cultural bias

Answer

Perception bias

Question 3

The presence of an authority figure who provides false information can increase eyewitness suggestibility. This is known as the:

Accepted Answer

Compliance effect

Answer

Power of suggestion

Answer

False memory syndrome

Answer

Confirmation bias

Question 4

The eyewitness testimony of children is generally considered to be:

Accepted Answer

More susceptible to influence

Answer

More accurate than adults

Answer

Less reliable than adults

Answer

Equally reliable as adults

Question 5

Which of the following is a limitation of using eyewitness testimony in legal proceedings?

Accepted Answer

It can be biased

Answer

It is always accurate

Answer

It is difficult to obtain

Answer

It is not admissible in court

Question 6

Which of the following is a characteristic of a leading question?

Accepted Answer

Suggests a particular answer

Answer

Is open-ended

Answer

Avoids presuppositions

Answer

Encourages elaboration

Question 7

Which cognitive process is involved in the formation of memories?

Accepted Answer

Encoding

Answer

Attention

Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Evaluation

Question 8

Which technique is used to minimize the influence of leading questions in eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive interview

Answer

Directed memory

Answer

Show-up procedure

Answer

Emotionally evocative language

Question 9

What is the main purpose of a lineup procedure?

Accepted Answer

To identify the perpetrator

Answer

To test the witness's memory

Answer

To determine the reliability of the witness

Answer

To collect evidence for the prosecution

Question 10

What is meant by 'confirmation bias' in the context of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

The tendency to interpret information in a way that supports existing beliefs

Answer

The inability to recall information that contradicts existing beliefs

Answer

The process of distorting memories to make them more consistent with expectations

Answer

The desire to provide accurate and unbiased testimony

Question 11

What is the significance of body language in eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Can indicate signs of deception or nervousness

Answer

Has no relevance to the accuracy of testimony

Answer

Can be used to manipulate the witness's memory

Answer

Is always a reliable indicator of guilt or innocence

Question 12

Eyewitness testimony can be valuable in court, but it also has limitations. Which statement best reflects the ethical way to use eyewitness testimony in criminal proceedings?

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness testimony should only be used if there's other strong evidence to support it.

Answer

Eyewitness testimony is never reliable and shouldn't be used in court.

Answer

There are no ethical concerns with using eyewitness testimony because it's always reliable.

Answer

Eyewitness testimony should be trusted more than other types of evidence in court.

Question 13

How does selective perception affect the reliability of eyewitness accounts?

Accepted Answer

Selective perception leads us to focus on information that aligns with our expectations, potentially excluding crucial details.

Answer

Perception passively records the world without any influence from our expectations.

Answer

The context in which perception occurs has no impact on the accuracy of our observations.

Answer

Eyewitness accounts are always accurate and reliable.

Question 14

Which cognitive process involves the long-term storage and retrieval of information?

Accepted Answer

Memory

Answer

Perception

Answer

Language

Answer

Attention

Question 15

What is the term for the consistency of eyewitness accounts across multiple witnesses?

Accepted Answer

Reliability

Answer

Validity

Answer

Accuracy

Answer

Congruence

Question 16

Which of the following is a recommended technique to enhance the accuracy of eyewitness identification?

Accepted Answer

Sequential lineup

Answer

Line-up procedure

Answer

Photographic array

Answer

Show-up procedure

Question 17

What is the term for the phenomenon where an individual's memory of an event changes over time, often becoming less accurate?

Accepted Answer

Retrospective bias

Answer

Delayed recall

Answer

Memory distortion

Answer

Constructive memory

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an accurate eyewitness?

Accepted Answer

Is completely immune to their own biases

Answer

Provides consistent and detailed descriptions

Answer

Avoids guesswork and acknowledges uncertainty

Answer

Can provide accurate descriptions even under stressful conditions

Question 19

Which research method is commonly employed to study eyewitness testimony in a controlled environment?

Accepted Answer

Laboratory experiments

Answer

Field studies

Answer

Meta-analysis

Answer

Case studies

Question 20

What is the complex relationship between eyewitness confidence and accuracy?

Accepted Answer

Confidence can be misleading and not necessarily indicate accuracy

Answer

Confidence is always positively correlated with accuracy

Answer

Confidence is only relevant in cases where there are multiple eyewitnesses

Answer

Confidence should not be considered in the evaluation of eyewitness testimony

Question 21

Which of the following factors does NOT increase the suggestibility of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Clarity of the event

Answer

Stress

Answer

Bias

Answer

Leading questions

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a factor that can affect the reliability of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Intelligence

Answer

Stress

Answer

Memory

Answer

Bias

Question 23

The process by which new information or experiences modify existing memories is called:

Accepted Answer

Reconstruction

Answer

Consolidation

Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Encoding

Question 24

Which of the following is a technique that can be used to increase the accuracy of an eyewitness?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive interview

Answer

Closed-ended questions

Answer

Leading questions

Answer

Hypnosis

Question 25

The tendency for people to conform to the opinions of others is known as:

Accepted Answer

Groupthink

Answer

Diffusion of responsibility

Answer

Social loafing

Answer

Social facilitation

Question 26

The process of accessing information from memory is called:

Accepted Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Encoding

Answer

Consolidation

Answer

Reconstruction

Question 27

Which of the following is an advantage of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Richness of detail

Answer

Accuracy over time

Answer

Reliability across witnesses

Answer

Resistance to suggestion

Question 28

The tendency for people to remember more information after it has been organised is known as:

Accepted Answer

Chunking

Answer

Mnemonic

Answer

Elaboration

Answer

Retrieval cue

Question 29

The process of converting new information into a memory is called:

Accepted Answer

Encoding

Answer

Storage

Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Consolidation

Question 30

Which of the following factors does NOT influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Education level

Answer

Stress

Answer

Bias

Answer

Leading questions

Question 31

According to the cognitive processes involved in memory, which step occurs first?

Accepted Answer

Encoding

Answer

Storage

Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Recognition

Question 32

Bias refers to the tendency to:

Accepted Answer

Favor one side or perspective

Answer

Be objective and impartial

Answer

Forget information that is not immediately relevant

Answer

Recall events that are most vivid

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of a leading question?

Accepted Answer

Was the suspect wearing a blue shirt?

Answer

What did the suspect look like?

Answer

Did you notice anything unusual?

Answer

Can you describe the incident in as much detail as possible?

Question 34

Suggestibility refers to the:

Accepted Answer

Tendency of a witness's memory to be influenced by external factors

Answer

Ability of a witness to accurately recall an event

Answer

Reliability of a witness's testimony

Answer

Willingness of a witness to provide information

Question 35

Which technique is used to minimize the suggestibility of eyewitnesses?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive interviewing

Answer

Confrontational questioning

Answer

Closed-ended questioning

Answer

Leading questioning

Question 36

The misinformation effect refers to the phenomenon whereby:

Accepted Answer

New information is incorporated into a witness's memory, potentially overwriting existing information

Answer

A witness's memory becomes more fragmented and less accurate over time

Answer

A witness's confidence in their testimony decreases

Answer

A witness's memory improves with repeated recall

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT a factor that can have a negative impact on eyewitness accuracy?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive processes

Answer

Stress

Answer

Bias

Answer

Distractions

Question 38

Is the following statement true or false: Eyewitness testimony is generally reliable and should be taken at face value.

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

True

Question 39

Which cognitive process is most crucial for the formation of new memories?

Accepted Answer

Encoding

Answer

Attention

Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Recognition

Question 40

What is the term used to describe the susceptibility of eyewitness testimony to being influenced by leading questions or other external factors?

Accepted Answer

Suggestibility

Answer

Confirmation bias

Answer

Memory distortion

Answer

Cognitive dissonance

Question 41

When conducting an eyewitness interview, which of the following practices is most important for obtaining accurate and unbiased information?

Accepted Answer

Using open-ended questions

Answer

Asking leading questions

Answer

Minimizing distractions

Answer

Pressuring the witness to recall details

Question 42

How do explicit and implicit memory differ in terms of their nature?

Accepted Answer

Explicit memory involves conscious recall, while implicit memory is automatic and unconscious.

Answer

Implicit memory involves conscious recall, while explicit memory is automatic and unconscious.

Answer

Explicit memory stores factual information, while implicit memory stores procedural knowledge.

Answer

Implicit memory stores factual information, while explicit memory stores procedural knowledge.

Question 43

What is the primary function of the amygdala in relation to memory?

Accepted Answer

Processing emotional information and influencing memory consolidation.

Answer

Storing long-term memories.

Answer

Controlling the release of hormones involved in memory formation.

Answer

Interpreting sensory information and aiding in the encoding of memories.

Question 44

In the cognitive processes involved in memory, which stage occurs first?

Accepted Answer

Encoding

Answer

Storage

Answer

Retrieval

Answer

Reconstruction

Question 45

What is the primary reason for using leading questions during eyewitness interviews?

Accepted Answer

To obtain specific information from the witness

Answer

To minimize the influence of biases

Answer

To refresh the witness's memory

Answer

To assess the witness's credibility

Question 46

Which technique is primarily used to reduce the suggestibility of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive interviewing

Answer

Cross-examination

Answer

Lie detection

Answer

Hypnosis

Question 47

What is the primary function of the hippocampus in the context of eyewitness memory?

Accepted Answer

Encoding and consolidating memories

Answer

Retrieving memories

Answer

Storing memories

Answer

Recognizing objects

Question 48

Which of the following accurately reflects a limitation of eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

It can be influenced by factors beyond the witness's control and can be unreliable.

Answer

It is always accurate and reliable.

Answer

It is not affected by biases.

Question 49

How are explicit memory and implicit memory distinct in relation to eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Explicit memory is consciously recalled, while implicit memory operates unconsciously.

Answer

Explicit memory is only used for long-term memories.

Answer

Implicit memory is more accurate than explicit memory.

Question 50

What is considered best practice when conducting eyewitness interviews?

Accepted Answer

Using open-ended questions and minimizing leading questions.

Answer

Interrupting the witness frequently.

Answer

Pressuring the witness to provide a detailed account.

Question 51

When using eyewitness testimony in legal proceedings, what are the primary ethical considerations?

Accepted Answer

Protecting the witness, ensuring accuracy and fairness, and considering the potential impact on the defendant.

Answer

Ignoring the witness's personal beliefs.