Q.1 What is the term for when a witness's memory is influenced by misleading information?
Source monitoring
Misinformation effect
Retroactive interference
Confirmation bias
Explanation - The misinformation effect occurs when a person's recall of an event becomes less accurate due to post-event information.
Correct answer is: Misinformation effect
Q.2 Which factor can most negatively impact the accuracy of an eyewitness’s identification?
Good lighting during the event
Short exposure time
High confidence of the witness
Presence of multiple witnesses
Explanation - A brief exposure to an event reduces the witness’s ability to encode details accurately, increasing errors in recall.
Correct answer is: Short exposure time
Q.3 What is the term for recalling information in a different context than it was learned?
Context-dependent memory
State-dependent memory
Source amnesia
Repression
Explanation - Context-dependent memory refers to improved recall when the context during retrieval matches the context during encoding.
Correct answer is: Context-dependent memory
Q.4 Which type of memory is primarily involved in eyewitness testimony?
Procedural memory
Semantic memory
Episodic memory
Sensory memory
Explanation - Episodic memory stores personal experiences, which is what eyewitnesses recall when describing an event.
Correct answer is: Episodic memory
Q.5 The phenomenon where witnesses conform their memory to others’ recollections is called:
Social conformity effect
Memory reconstruction
Collaboration effect
Memory conformity
Explanation - Memory conformity occurs when witnesses adopt details from others’ accounts, which can distort their own memory.
Correct answer is: Memory conformity
Q.6 What does 'weapon focus effect' refer to in eyewitness memory?
Witnesses remembering a weapon better than the culprit
Witnesses focusing on the weapon and neglecting other details
Witnesses being more confident when a weapon is present
Witnesses recalling the type of crime accurately
Explanation - The weapon focus effect occurs when attention is drawn to a weapon, reducing the ability to recall other details of the scene.
Correct answer is: Witnesses focusing on the weapon and neglecting other details
Q.7 Which method is recommended to improve eyewitness memory during police interviews?
Leading questions
Cognitive interview
Rapid-fire questioning
Multiple-choice questioning
Explanation - The cognitive interview technique uses memory retrieval cues and context reinstatement to enhance accurate recall.
Correct answer is: Cognitive interview
Q.8 Which factor is least likely to affect eyewitness memory accuracy?
Stress level during the event
Duration of exposure
Witness’s height
Presence of a weapon
Explanation - Height of the witness does not typically influence memory accuracy, whereas stress, exposure time, and weapons do.
Correct answer is: Witness’s height
Q.9 Recollection of events that never happened due to suggestive questioning is called:
False memory
Flashbulb memory
Encoding failure
Retroactive interference
Explanation - False memories are fabricated recollections created by suggestion, imagination, or exposure to misleading information.
Correct answer is: False memory
Q.10 What is the main risk of using lineups in eyewitness identification?
Witness confusion with multiple suspects
Witness always choosing the tallest person
Witness remembering all details correctly
Witness ignoring the actual suspect
Explanation - Lineups can lead to mistaken identification, especially if the actual suspect stands out or witnesses are uncertain.
Correct answer is: Witness confusion with multiple suspects
Q.11 Which memory error occurs when people attribute a memory to the wrong source?
Source monitoring error
Retroactive interference
Primacy effect
Serial position effect
Explanation - Source monitoring errors happen when individuals misremember the origin of a memory, such as confusing a story read with one they experienced.
Correct answer is: Source monitoring error
Q.12 Stress experienced during a crime generally has which effect on memory?
Always improves memory
Always worsens memory
Can either impair or enhance memory depending on intensity
No effect on memory
Explanation - Moderate stress may enhance memory for central details, but high stress often impairs memory, especially for peripheral details.
Correct answer is: Can either impair or enhance memory depending on intensity
Q.13 Which term describes remembering emotional events vividly but not always accurately?
Flashbulb memory
Procedural memory
Semantic memory
Episodic memory
Explanation - Flashbulb memories are vivid, detailed recollections of significant events, but they are susceptible to errors and distortions.
Correct answer is: Flashbulb memory
Q.14 Leading questions can distort eyewitness memory by:
Improving recall accuracy
Suggesting specific details that may be false
Reducing stress during interviews
Helping witnesses organize memories
Explanation - Leading questions can implant false details into a witness’s memory, altering their original recollection.
Correct answer is: Suggesting specific details that may be false
Q.15 Which age group is generally most accurate in eyewitness memory?
Children under 10
Teenagers 13-18
Young adults 18-30
Older adults 60+
Explanation - Young adults tend to have more reliable memory performance than children or older adults due to cognitive development and experience.
Correct answer is: Young adults 18-30
Q.16 Which effect describes memory being influenced by later experiences?
Misinformation effect
Primacy effect
Recency effect
Encoding specificity
Explanation - The misinformation effect occurs when post-event information alters a person’s memory of an event.
Correct answer is: Misinformation effect
Q.17 What role does confidence play in eyewitness accuracy?
High confidence always equals high accuracy
Confidence has little correlation with accuracy
Low confidence guarantees errors
Confidence and accuracy are identical
Explanation - Witness confidence is not a reliable predictor of memory accuracy; confident witnesses can still be mistaken.
Correct answer is: Confidence has little correlation with accuracy
Q.18 What is 'reconstructive memory'?
Memory that is recalled exactly as experienced
Memory that is formed by combining actual events with other information
Memory lost due to brain injury
Memory only stored in short-term memory
Explanation - Reconstructive memory suggests that remembering is an active process where people rebuild events, sometimes introducing errors.
Correct answer is: Memory that is formed by combining actual events with other information
Q.19 What is the 'own-race bias' in eyewitness identification?
Better identification of faces from the same race as the witness
Better identification of faces from a different race
No difference based on race
Witnesses ignore race entirely
Explanation - Own-race bias refers to the tendency for people to more accurately recognize faces of their own racial group than those of other groups.
Correct answer is: Better identification of faces from the same race as the witness
Q.20 Which type of questioning is least likely to introduce errors in eyewitness memory?
Leading questions
Open-ended questions
Forced-choice questions
Repeated suggestive questioning
Explanation - Open-ended questions allow witnesses to describe events in their own words without being influenced by suggestions.
Correct answer is: Open-ended questions
Q.21 Why are children’s eyewitness accounts often less reliable?
They have weaker attention and memory skills
They always lie
They cannot recognize faces
They are less verbal than adults
Explanation - Children are more susceptible to suggestion and have less developed memory encoding and retrieval abilities.
Correct answer is: They have weaker attention and memory skills
Q.22 Which of the following best reduces false identifications in police lineups?
Simultaneous presentation of suspects
Sequential presentation of suspects
Including multiple distractors
Witnesses giving verbal descriptions only
Explanation - Sequential lineups reduce the likelihood of relative judgment errors by having witnesses evaluate each suspect individually.
Correct answer is: Sequential presentation of suspects
Q.23 What does 'retroactive interference' mean in the context of memory?
Old memories interfere with new learning
New information interferes with old memories
Memory retrieval improves over time
Memories become more vivid with age
Explanation - Retroactive interference occurs when recently acquired information disrupts the recall of previously stored memories.
Correct answer is: New information interferes with old memories
Q.24 Which factor is most likely to enhance eyewitness recall?
Witnessing a crime in a crowded area
Using cognitive interview techniques
Being asked leading questions
Stress during the event
Explanation - Cognitive interviews facilitate retrieval of accurate details by reinstating context and encouraging comprehensive recall.
Correct answer is: Using cognitive interview techniques