BAPSY Intersection of Psychology and Legal System 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which standard is used in the US to determine whether a defendant is legally insane at the time of a crime?
- The Durham Rule
- The M'Naghten Standard (Correct answer)
- The Brawner Rule
- The Irresistible Impulse Test
Correct answer: The M'Naghten Standard
The M'Naghten Standard is the most widely adopted legal test for insanity, requiring that the defendant did not know the nature of the act or that it was wrong.
Question 2: A forensic psychologist is asked to evaluate whether a defendant can understand court proceedings and assist in their own defense. This assessment addresses:
- Criminal responsibility
- Competency to stand trial (Correct answer)
- Malingering risk
- Dangerousness prediction
Correct answer: Competency to stand trial
Competency to stand trial evaluates whether a defendant has sufficient present ability to consult with counsel and understand the proceedings.
Question 3: Which psychological concept refers to a witness's tendency to incorporate misleading post-event information into their memory of an event?
- Confirmation bias
- The misinformation effect (Correct answer)
- Hindsight bias
- Source monitoring error
Correct answer: The misinformation effect
The misinformation effect, demonstrated by Loftus, occurs when post-event information distorts a witness's original memory of the event.
Question 4: In child custody evaluations, which framework guides psychologists to prioritize the child's physical, emotional, and developmental needs above parental preferences?
- Parens patriae doctrine
- Best interest of the child standard (Correct answer)
- Tender years presumption
- Joint custody presumption
Correct answer: Best interest of the child standard
The best interest of the child standard is the predominant legal and ethical framework used in custody determinations.
Question 5: Which term describes the phenomenon where innocent people confess to crimes they did not commit due to psychological pressure during interrogation?
- Reactive confession
- False confession (Correct answer)
- Coerced compliance
- Acquiescence bias
Correct answer: False confession
False confessions occur when suspects admit to crimes they did not commit, often due to police pressure, psychological vulnerability, or interrogation tactics.
Question 6: A psychologist testifying about the general unreliability of eyewitness identification is serving as what type of expert witness?
- Treating expert
- Forensic consultant
- Ultimate opinion witness
- Educating expert (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Educating expert
An educating expert (or scientific expert) informs the jury about general research findings rather than offering opinions about the specific case.
Question 7: Which US Supreme Court case established that mentally retarded (intellectually disabled) individuals cannot be executed under the Eighth Amendment?
- Ford v. Wainwright
- Atkins v. Virginia (Correct answer)
- Roper v. Simmons
- Hall v. Florida
Correct answer: Atkins v. Virginia
Atkins v. Virginia (2002) held that executing intellectually disabled individuals constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
BAPSY Intersection of Psychology and Legal System 2
Which standard is used in the US to determine whether a defendant is legally insane at the time of a crime?