Intersection of Psychology and Legal System Flashcards

Drug courts are an example of which legal concept that uses psychological principles to promote rehabilitation over punishment?

Answer: Problem-solving courts

Problem-solving courts like drug courts apply behavioral and psychological science to address the root causes of criminal behavior and reduce recidivism.

Which concept from social psychology best explains why people on a jury may make harsher judgments about a defendant who is physically unattractive?

Answer: Physical attractiveness stereotype

The physical attractiveness stereotype (halo effect) leads people to attribute more negative traits to unattractive individuals, influencing legal judgments.

A psychologist conducting a civil commitment evaluation must determine that the person poses:

Answer: A serious and imminent danger to self or others due to mental illness

Civil commitment requires that mental illness causes a person to be a danger to themselves or others or unable to care for themselves, meeting a legally defined threshold.

Which bias occurs when a forensic evaluator's findings are unconsciously shaped by which side retained them for the evaluation?

Answer: Allegiance effect (adversarial bias)

The allegiance effect or adversarial bias refers to evaluators producing findings that favor the party that hired them, even unconsciously.

In a mock jury study, participants who deliberated to a unanimous verdict were more likely to demonstrate which effect compared to non-deliberating individuals?

Answer: Group polarization of pre-deliberation views

Group polarization in jury deliberation tends to push the group's final verdict in the direction of the members' dominant pre-deliberation inclinations.

Which legal concept allows for the civil detention of individuals convicted of sexually violent offenses after they complete their criminal sentence?

Answer: Sexually violent predator laws

Sexually violent predator (SVP) laws permit civil commitment of individuals deemed likely to reoffend after release from prison based on mental disorder.

Which approach to police interviewing, developed in the UK, focuses on gathering accurate information rather than obtaining a confession?

Answer: PEACE model

The PEACE model (Preparation, Engage, Account, Closure, Evaluate) is a non-coercive investigative interviewing framework designed to gather reliable information.