Self Test for Social Psychology in Court

Note: These questions are part of a larger data base of questions on Chapter 15. The Questions 
are selected to represent the type of question you should expect on unit exam one. You can, in fact, 
expect to see many of these very same questions on that exam. Exam questions, however, 
may deal with topics not covered in the self tests or in lectures but are discussed in your textbook. You 
are responsible for the content of your text book plus the content of lectures, interactive activities, 
& material on the web site.

Use these sample questions to test yourself & to get ready for the unit test.  

1.  Which of the following is true regarding social psychology & the courtroom? 

•  Social psychology had its roots in the study of the courtroom. 
 •  The courtroom is a miniature social world where people think about & influence each other. 
  •  The study of criminal cases can provide important new insight into the causes of aggression & conflict. 
   •  Most government research funds available to social psychologists have been designated for the study of courtroom procedures.
 
 2.  When experts provide jurors information on the conditions under which eyewitness accounts are trustworthy 
 
•  jurors become more likely to trust such testimony. 
 •  jurors are not influenced by the information experts provide. 
  •  jurors demonstrate reactance and are even more likely to accept inaccurate testimony. 
   •  less intelligent jurors demonstrate reactance but more intelligent jurors analyze eyewitness testimony more carefully.
   
3.  Research on the physical attractiveness of defendants has indicated that physically attractive defendants are 

•  less likely to be found guilty but if found guilty receive more punishment. 
 •  less likely to be found guilty & if found guilty receive less punishment. 
  •  more likely to be found guilty & if found guilty receive more punishment. 
   •  more likely to be found guilty but if found guilty receive less punishment 
   
4.  A jury may demonstrate reactance in response to a 

•  timid defense attorney . 
 •  self-confident eyewitness. 
  •  dogmatic prosecuting attorney. 
   •  judge's instructions to ignore testimony.
   
5.  A judge's instructions to jurors that they ignore inadmissible evidence are most likely to be followed if given 

•  as a forewarning before the evidence is presented. 
 •  just before the jury retires to deliberate on the evidence. 
  •  immediately after the inadmissible evidence has been presented. 
   •  after the prosecution has presented its case but before the defense calls its witnesses. 
   
6.  People who do not oppose the death penalty are 

•  likely to have been involved in some crime themselves. 
 •  likely to have deep religious convictions. 
  •  more likely to favor the prosecution. 
   •  likely to be middle-aged or elderly.    

7.  Jurors who are more prone to vote guilty tend to be 

•  more authoritarian. 
 •  lower in self-esteem. 
  •  higher in self-efficacy . 
   •  from the upper socioeconomic class.
   
8.  Research on the individual characteristics of jurors, such as personality & general attitudes, indicates that

•  males are less likely to find a defendant guilty than are females. 
 •  these characteristics have their strongest effect when the evidence is ambiguous. 
  •  these characteristics are as important as the evidence itself in determining jurors' verdicts. 
   •  highly religious persons are less likely to find a defendant guilty than are less religious persons .
   
9.  Which of the following is true regarding the influence of minorities in jury deliberations? 

•  frequently a minority view prevails and causes the majority to reverse its verdict 
 •  minorities composed of women are more influential than minorities composed of men. 
  •  a minority that favors acquittal stands a better chance of influencing the majority than does a minority that favors conviction. 
   •  minorities composed of high authoritarians are more influential than minorities composed of low authoritarians.
   
10.  The fact that high authoritarians who initially recommended strong punishments were even more punitive after group deliberation suggests
 that   ____________________ can occur in juries. 
 
•  reactance 
 •  groupthink 
  •  social facilitation 
   •  group polarization
   
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                             Social Psychology
                               Robert C. Gates