1. The knowledge and skills of developmental psychologists might be relevant for the legal
system in which one of these cases?
A) When studying the dynamics of jury deliberation.
B) When assessing a mentally ill defendant for potential risk of violence.
C) When deciding whether the eyewitness is able to remember the scene of crime.
D) When evaluating the state of mind of a teenager who brought guns to school.
2. The knowledge and skills of clinical psychologists might be relevant for the legal system
in which one of these cases?
A) When selecting jurors potentially sympathetic to the defendant.
B) When assessing a mentally ill defendant for potential risk of violence.
C) When deciding whether the eyewitness is able to remember the scene of crime.
D) When evaluating the state of mind of a teenager who brought guns to school.
3. The knowledge and skills of social psychologists might be relevant for the legal system
in which one of these cases?
A) When studying the dynamics of jury deliberation.
B) When assessing a mentally ill defendant for potential risk of violence.
C) When deciding whether the eyewitness is able to remember the scene of crime.
D) When evaluating which custody arrangement will most benefit the child's
development.
4. Brandeis's brief in Muller v Oregon (1908) was a milestone in the development of the
psychology and law union because it:
A) relied on expert testimony from professional psychologists.
B) expanded graduate training for psychologists.
C) mandated the use of research training for judges.
D) opened the door for U.S. courts to use social scientific evidence.
5. The _____ approach treats laws as a tool that needs to be regularly reexamined and
adjusted, whereas _____ treats laws as evolved to reflect the principles found in nature.
A) legal objectivism; environmental law
B) environmental law; legal objectivism
C) legal realism; “natural law”.
D) “natural law”; legal realism
Page 1
, 6. Legal realists:
A) thought judicial decisions reflected principles found in nature.
B) felt judges used careful logic to arrive at a single correct decision in a particular case.
C) believed judges constructed the law through their interpretations of evidence and
precedent.
D) showed little interest in applying social science research to the legal system.
7. During the trial, each side is trying to win the case. However, the goal of the legal
system overall is to:
A) achieve justice.
B) achieve peace.
C) obtain compensation for all parties.
D) not be hampered by fairness.
8. _____ can be described as an effort to figure out how the world works, whereas _____
provides a system for meting out just desserts.
A) Law; science
B) Science; legislature
C) Legislature; law
D) Science; law
9. The primary goal of psychological science is to:
A) provide guidelines for behavior.
B) regulate human behavior.
C) demonstrate how punishment works.
D) provide accurate explanations of human behavior.
10. According to the text, the goal of psychology is to ____, whereas the goal of the legal
system is to _____.
A) emphasize the characteristics of groups; emphasize individual cases
B) emphasize individual cases; emphasize the characteristics of groups
C) apply abstract principles; understand the general nature of humans
D) develop legal protocol; generalize details of a case
11. Precedents can best be described as:
A) legal cases that have established a rule that are then used to decide future cases with
similar issues.
B) past decisions dictating all future cases, regardless of the “goodness-of-fit.”
C) reviews of facts in a case that occurred in a similar jurisdiction.
D) rulings on the matters that were raised by the same parties that are participating as
plaintiff and defendant in the current case.
Page 2
,12. The basis of the adversarial system in law is that:
A) the prosecution depends on the adverse nature of the case.
B) truth will emerge as a result of contest between opposing sides.
C) the defense depends on eyewitness testimony only.
D) the truth always prevails.
13. Differences in goals, methods, and styles of inquiry made the relationship between
psychology and law:
A) natural and harmonious.
B) difficult but important.
C) impossible to forge.
D) successful in every way.
14. Sylvester is hired by the defense to help select jurors who would be less likely to
convict. This is an example of the following role played by psychologists in the legal
system:
A) advisor
B) evaluator
C) reformer
D) clinician
15. Trial consultants may be hired to perform the following duties:
A) preparing witnesses and shaping trial strategy.
B) citing law and writing abbreviated briefs.
C) performing psychological evaluations and risk assessment
D) conducting research and advocating for reform
16. Sam is a cognitive psychologist. What aspect of the legal process might he provide
assistance with to the court?
A) Determining the general fairness of the legal system.
B) Advising at what age children are fully cognizant of their actions within the law.
C) Evaluating the defendant's competence to stand trial.
D) Clarifying whether jurors understand the instructions for deliberating a verdict.
17. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program found that:
A) the program is highly effective in reducing both drug use and delinquency.
B) the program is effective in reducing drug use but increases delinquency.
C) the program is not effective in reducing drug use.
D) the program is only effective in reducing delinquency.
Page 3
, 18. Ricardo is conducting research on the effects of solitary confinement on mental health.
This is an example of the following role played by a psychologist in the legal system:
A) advisor
B) evaluator
C) reformer
D) clinician
19. Isabella is advocating for a change in the way domestic violence victims are treated by
police and the courts. This is an example of the following role played by psychologists
in the legal system:
A) advisor
B) evaluator
C) reformer
D) clinician
20. In consideration of scientific testimony, gatekeeping in the legal sense includes:
A) determining court session protocol and procedures.
B) assessing the scientific validity of potential testimony.
C) counseling juries on the value of scientific evidence.
D) providing instructions to the jurors before they start deliberation.
21. For a reasonable evaluation of scientific validity of potential expert testimony, one
needs to have sufficient understanding of:
A) court proceedings.
B) jury instructions.
C) research methods.
D) legal terminology.
22. According to the text, the term gatekeeper refers to:
A) securing the courtroom.
B) the sorting of various briefs for the purpose of finding relevant precedents.
C) the establishment of the tiers of fact.
D) the assessment of scientific validity of testimony before allowing it in trial.
23. Roles that psychologists may play in the legal system include the following:
A) auxiliary judges.
B) gatekeepers.
C) reformers.
D) parapsychologists.
Page 4
system in which one of these cases?
A) When studying the dynamics of jury deliberation.
B) When assessing a mentally ill defendant for potential risk of violence.
C) When deciding whether the eyewitness is able to remember the scene of crime.
D) When evaluating the state of mind of a teenager who brought guns to school.
2. The knowledge and skills of clinical psychologists might be relevant for the legal system
in which one of these cases?
A) When selecting jurors potentially sympathetic to the defendant.
B) When assessing a mentally ill defendant for potential risk of violence.
C) When deciding whether the eyewitness is able to remember the scene of crime.
D) When evaluating the state of mind of a teenager who brought guns to school.
3. The knowledge and skills of social psychologists might be relevant for the legal system
in which one of these cases?
A) When studying the dynamics of jury deliberation.
B) When assessing a mentally ill defendant for potential risk of violence.
C) When deciding whether the eyewitness is able to remember the scene of crime.
D) When evaluating which custody arrangement will most benefit the child's
development.
4. Brandeis's brief in Muller v Oregon (1908) was a milestone in the development of the
psychology and law union because it:
A) relied on expert testimony from professional psychologists.
B) expanded graduate training for psychologists.
C) mandated the use of research training for judges.
D) opened the door for U.S. courts to use social scientific evidence.
5. The _____ approach treats laws as a tool that needs to be regularly reexamined and
adjusted, whereas _____ treats laws as evolved to reflect the principles found in nature.
A) legal objectivism; environmental law
B) environmental law; legal objectivism
C) legal realism; “natural law”.
D) “natural law”; legal realism
Page 1
, 6. Legal realists:
A) thought judicial decisions reflected principles found in nature.
B) felt judges used careful logic to arrive at a single correct decision in a particular case.
C) believed judges constructed the law through their interpretations of evidence and
precedent.
D) showed little interest in applying social science research to the legal system.
7. During the trial, each side is trying to win the case. However, the goal of the legal
system overall is to:
A) achieve justice.
B) achieve peace.
C) obtain compensation for all parties.
D) not be hampered by fairness.
8. _____ can be described as an effort to figure out how the world works, whereas _____
provides a system for meting out just desserts.
A) Law; science
B) Science; legislature
C) Legislature; law
D) Science; law
9. The primary goal of psychological science is to:
A) provide guidelines for behavior.
B) regulate human behavior.
C) demonstrate how punishment works.
D) provide accurate explanations of human behavior.
10. According to the text, the goal of psychology is to ____, whereas the goal of the legal
system is to _____.
A) emphasize the characteristics of groups; emphasize individual cases
B) emphasize individual cases; emphasize the characteristics of groups
C) apply abstract principles; understand the general nature of humans
D) develop legal protocol; generalize details of a case
11. Precedents can best be described as:
A) legal cases that have established a rule that are then used to decide future cases with
similar issues.
B) past decisions dictating all future cases, regardless of the “goodness-of-fit.”
C) reviews of facts in a case that occurred in a similar jurisdiction.
D) rulings on the matters that were raised by the same parties that are participating as
plaintiff and defendant in the current case.
Page 2
,12. The basis of the adversarial system in law is that:
A) the prosecution depends on the adverse nature of the case.
B) truth will emerge as a result of contest between opposing sides.
C) the defense depends on eyewitness testimony only.
D) the truth always prevails.
13. Differences in goals, methods, and styles of inquiry made the relationship between
psychology and law:
A) natural and harmonious.
B) difficult but important.
C) impossible to forge.
D) successful in every way.
14. Sylvester is hired by the defense to help select jurors who would be less likely to
convict. This is an example of the following role played by psychologists in the legal
system:
A) advisor
B) evaluator
C) reformer
D) clinician
15. Trial consultants may be hired to perform the following duties:
A) preparing witnesses and shaping trial strategy.
B) citing law and writing abbreviated briefs.
C) performing psychological evaluations and risk assessment
D) conducting research and advocating for reform
16. Sam is a cognitive psychologist. What aspect of the legal process might he provide
assistance with to the court?
A) Determining the general fairness of the legal system.
B) Advising at what age children are fully cognizant of their actions within the law.
C) Evaluating the defendant's competence to stand trial.
D) Clarifying whether jurors understand the instructions for deliberating a verdict.
17. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program found that:
A) the program is highly effective in reducing both drug use and delinquency.
B) the program is effective in reducing drug use but increases delinquency.
C) the program is not effective in reducing drug use.
D) the program is only effective in reducing delinquency.
Page 3
, 18. Ricardo is conducting research on the effects of solitary confinement on mental health.
This is an example of the following role played by a psychologist in the legal system:
A) advisor
B) evaluator
C) reformer
D) clinician
19. Isabella is advocating for a change in the way domestic violence victims are treated by
police and the courts. This is an example of the following role played by psychologists
in the legal system:
A) advisor
B) evaluator
C) reformer
D) clinician
20. In consideration of scientific testimony, gatekeeping in the legal sense includes:
A) determining court session protocol and procedures.
B) assessing the scientific validity of potential testimony.
C) counseling juries on the value of scientific evidence.
D) providing instructions to the jurors before they start deliberation.
21. For a reasonable evaluation of scientific validity of potential expert testimony, one
needs to have sufficient understanding of:
A) court proceedings.
B) jury instructions.
C) research methods.
D) legal terminology.
22. According to the text, the term gatekeeper refers to:
A) securing the courtroom.
B) the sorting of various briefs for the purpose of finding relevant precedents.
C) the establishment of the tiers of fact.
D) the assessment of scientific validity of testimony before allowing it in trial.
23. Roles that psychologists may play in the legal system include the following:
A) auxiliary judges.
B) gatekeepers.
C) reformers.
D) parapsychologists.
Page 4
