Learn: Psychology and Law: Crime, Confessions, and Jury Decisions

What is the primary goal of police interrogation?

To obtain incriminating statements and confessions.

What must occur for a Miranda warning to be required?

The suspect must be in custody.

What is a key requirement for a confession to be admissible?

The confession must be voluntary.

What is the first step of the Reid technique?

Positive Confrontation.

What does the theme development step in the Reid technique involve?

Creating a narrative that justifies the suspect's actions.

What is a compliant false confession?

An innocent person admits guilt during a stressful interrogation to escape pressure.

What can cause a voluntary false confession?

Desire for fame, self-punishment, severe mental illness, or protecting someone else.

What characterizes an internalized false confession?

An innocent person temporarily believes they committed the crime due to intense interrogation.

What is the Nebraska Wrongful Convictions Act?

A legal framework that allows claimants to prove wrongful conviction by clear and convincing evidence.

Who is Richard Leo?

An expert on confessions who participated in the Beatrice 6 civil cases.

What is a common challenge in studying false confessions?

There is no known estimate of the incidence rate of false confessions.

What factors increase the likelihood of a false confession?

Young age, suggestibility, and intellectual disability.

What is criminal profiling?

Analyzing evidence to infer characteristics and motivations of an unknown offender.

What distinguishes mass murderers from serial murderers?

Mass murderers kill multiple victims in a single incident, while serial murderers kill across separate events.

What is the validity of criminal profiling?

Psychologists evaluate whether profilers outperform untrained individuals and highlight limitations.

What methods are used to detect deception?

Observation of nonverbal behavior, vocal tone, and physiological measures like polygraphs.

What is the significance of the case Miranda v. Arizona?

It established that suspects must be informed of their rights before police questioning.

What is the psychological tactic of maximization in interrogations?

Exaggerating evidence and potential penalties to elicit admissions of guilt.

What is the psychological tactic of minimization in interrogations?

Offering sympathy or downplaying the crime's severity to elicit confessions.

What is the purpose of the 9 steps of the Reid technique?

To guide police interrogators in effectively obtaining confessions.

What is the role of case studies in studying false confessions?

To analyze real-life examples and understand the dynamics of false confessions.

What is the impact of prolonged questioning on suspects?

It can lead to compliant false confessions due to exhaustion and stress.

What is the importance of recording interrogations?

To provide evidence that can be reviewed to assess the validity of confessions.

What is a key feature of coerced-compliant false confessions?

The suspect plans to recant their confession later once they are safe.

What psychological factors contribute to internalized false confessions?

Memory distrust, fatigue, and persuasive police tactics.

What is the significance of analyzing DNA exonerations in false confession research?

It helps identify cases where confessions were proven false post-conviction.

How do police minimize the severity of a crime during interrogations?

By framing the suspect's actions in a more sympathetic context.

What are the Miranda warnings?

Legal warnings given by police to inform a suspect of their rights before questioning.

How can police circumvent Miranda warnings?

By trivializing the warning or persuading the suspect to talk without fully informing them of their rights.

What are negative incentives in police interrogations?

Tactics used to instill fear and despair in suspects, encouraging them to confess.

What are positive inducements in police interrogations?

Motivations offered to suspects suggesting that confessing will result in benefits.

How do interrogators challenge a suspect's denials?

By cutting them off, expressing disbelief, and introducing crime details to undermine their confidence.

What is the effect of introducing fabricated evidence during interrogations?

It can lead to false confessions by making suspects believe they have no choice but to confess.

What is the Central Park jogger case known for?

It involved false confessions from five young men who believed confessing would minimize their involvement.

What psychological pressures can lead to false confessions?

Prolonged isolation, sleep deprivation, coercive tactics, and individual vulnerabilities.

What is the Cumulative Disadvantage Framework?

A model showing how initial vulnerabilities increase the likelihood of false confessions and convictions.

What reforms are proposed to prevent false confessions?

Mandatory electronic recording of interrogations, reforming tactics, and restricting deceptive practices.

What does the First Amendment protect?

The freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petitioning the government.

What was the issue in Walker v. Texas Sons of Confederate Veterans?

Whether Texas license plates are perceived as government or private speech.

What was the main rule in Plessy v. Ferguson?

Segregated train cars did not violate the 14th Amendment.

What did the court reason in Plessy v. Ferguson?

The 14th Amendment enforced equality before the law but did not abolish color distinctions.

What did the Doll Study reveal about Black children in segregated schools?

They were more likely to select the colored doll as the 'bad doll' compared to those in integrated schools.

What was the main rule in Brown v. Board of Education?

Segregated schools were required to integrate.

What social science research supported the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education?

The Clark Doll Study and other social science studies demonstrating the impact of segregation on perceptions.

What qualities are desired in judges?

Impartiality, fairness, and the ability to apply the law without personal bias.

How do juries and judges perceive confession evidence?

They often view it as uniquely damning and may overestimate its voluntariness.

What is the psychological assumption behind laws separating races?

Such laws do not imply inferiority.

What is the significance of the psychological aspect in legal cases?

Understanding psychological factors helps connect law with human behavior and decision-making.

What is the impact of cognitive limitations on false confessions?

They increase susceptibility to coercive interrogation tactics.

What is the role of deception in police interrogations?

Deceptive practices can lead to false confessions by manipulating suspects' perceptions.

What is the purpose of mandatory electronic recording of interrogations?

To ensure transparency and accountability in the interrogation process.

What is a common misconception about innocence during interrogations?

Innocent suspects often believe that their innocence will protect them from coercive tactics.

What is the relationship between psychological pressure and confession rates?

Increased psychological pressure correlates with higher rates of false confessions.

What is the significance of the Clark Doll Study in legal contexts?

It provided evidence of the psychological effects of segregation on children's perceptions.

What does the term 'coercive tactics' refer to in interrogations?

Methods used to pressure suspects into confessing, often through intimidation or manipulation.

What are the two systems of judgment described in the lecture?

System 1 is intuitive and rapid; System 2 is deliberative and calculating.

How do judges perform on the Cognitive Reflection Test compared to most adults?

Judges score much better than most adults.

What effect do breaks have on judges' rulings?

Favorable rulings go down before breaks and go up after breaks.

What does the Sixth Amendment guarantee?

The right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.

What does the Seventh Amendment state about civil jury trials?

It preserves the right to trial by jury in suits at common law where the value exceeds twenty dollars.

What are some strengths of juries?

Juries are drawn from all walks of life and chosen at random.

What are some limitations of juries?

Juries vary in education and knowledge and generally have no legal training.

What must be a representative cross-section of the community according to US Supreme Court decisions?

The jury pool from which jurors are selected.

What challenges exist regarding jury pool representativeness?

Lack of representativeness, unsuccessful delivery of summonses, and disqualifications.

What was the issue in Batson v. Kentucky?

Whether peremptory challenges based on race violate the Equal Protection Clause.

What was the holding in Batson v. Kentucky?

Prosecutors cannot rely on the race of a prospective juror in exercising a peremptory challenge.

What does the Batson Challenge entail?

It involves a burden-shifting framework to prove intentional discrimination in juror selection.

What is a common preference among litigants regarding civil jury trials?

Many prefer to settle rather than go to trial.

What is the most important determinant of juries' verdicts according to psychological research?

The strength of evidence presented.

How do juries typically respond to expert testimony?

Expert testimony often has no effect on jurors due to its complexity.

What is jury nullification?

The act of a jury delivering a verdict contrary to the evidence or law.

What influences jury decisions beyond evidence?

Common sense justice, the defendant's criminal record, and community biases.

What is the difference in agreement between judges and juries?

Judges and juries usually agree, but judges may disagree on acquittals.

What is the significance of the number of jurors in a trial?

Larger juries (12 vs. 6) are generally better at representing the community.

What are the three general phases of jury deliberation?

Orientation, review of jury instructions, and exchanging initial impressions.

What role does sympathy play in judges' decisions?

Judges are often affected by sympathy or antipathy towards litigants.

What is the impact of implicit bias in jury decisions?

Implicit bias can influence jurors' perceptions and judgments.

What is the role of the foreperson in jury deliberation?

The foreperson leads the jury, reviews instructions, and facilitates discussions.

What is the relationship between juror education and understanding scientific evidence?

Jurors with more education may have more trouble understanding scientific evidence.

What is the constitutional basis for the right to a criminal jury trial?

U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 2, Clause 3 and the Sixth Amendment.

What is the significance of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment regarding jury trials?

It applies the right to a jury trial to the states.

What is the Batson Challenge's Step 1?

The defendant makes a prima facie showing that race was the reason a juror was excluded.

What must prosecutors provide in Step 2 of the Batson Challenge?

A clear, specific, and race-neutral reason for removing the juror.

What is the burden in Step 3 of the Batson Challenge?

The defendant must prove that the prosecutor's explanation is a pretext for discrimination.

What are the two approaches juries generally take?

Evidence-driven (discussing the story and facts first) or verdict-driven (taking an immediate vote).

What is the effect of juror unanimity on decision-making?

It requires longer and more thorough decisions and helps the minority get more time to argue their case.

What case discusses the effects of jury size on decision-making?

Kian v. Florida, which includes an amicus brief by psychology professors.

What factors can lead to a jury hanging?

Aiming for acquittal vs. conviction, individuals believing they understand scientific evidence better than others, and biases.

What biases are not good indicators of jury hanging?

Race, gender, and age.

What do we lose when a civil case does not go to a jury?

Public resolve of a dispute and civic engagement.

What trend has the violent crime rate in the US followed over the last two decades?

Generally decreased except for the 2020 COVID year when it increased.

Who identified the 'availability heuristic'?

Psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in 1973.

What is the availability heuristic?

A mental shortcut used for judging frequency and probability based on how easily examples come to mind.

What was the Milgram Experiment designed to test?

The willingness of ordinary people to obey authority figures even when it involves harming others.

What factors influenced obedience in the Milgram Experiment?

Situational pressure, proximity to the learner, and the presence of an authority figure.

What are the elements of a crime?

Actus reus (guilty action) and mens rea (intentional or purposeful mental state).

What does 'purposeful' mean in legal terms?

A person acts purposefully when their conscious objective is to cause a specific result.

What does 'knowing' mean in legal terms?

A person acts knowingly when they are aware that their conduct is practically certain to cause a result.

What does 'reckless' mean in legal terms?

A person acts recklessly when they consciously disregard a substantial and unjustified risk.

What does 'negligent' mean in legal terms?

A person acts negligently when they fail to notice a substantial and unjustified risk due to a gross deviation from the standard of care.