In the mid-1980s, the nation's media focused on the McMartin preschool in Los Angeles, where children claimed to have been hung in trees, raped, and forced to eat feces
Although none of the children had shown symptoms or problems during their preschool experience, most of the accused teachers were sentenced to years in prison. What has research revealed about the accuracy of children's testimony in cases such as this? Under what conditions are children apt to be suggestible?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Research has revealed that the extreme positions exemplified by the statements, "children always lie" and "children never lie," are wrong.
• Children do recollect accurately much of what they have observed or experienced.
• Children can also be influenced by leading questions and suggestions from the interviewer.
• Influence techniques like telling the children what "other kids" had supposedly said, expressing disappointment if answers are negative, and praising children for making allegations are likely to increase suggestibility in children.
• Younger children are more susceptible to influence techniques than older children.
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In balanced-placebo experiments with drinkers who meet the criteria of alcohol dependence, if they are given a beverage that they are led to believe has no alcohol, but that actually does have a small amount of alcohol in it, they
A. start to drink more and more of the beverage until they "lose control." B. report feeling intoxicated, even at BACs too low to detect. C. do not report intoxication and do not increase their drinking. D. can detect any amount of alcohol, when normal drinkers cannot.
Kristine and Nicole are seeing therapists for their psychological problems. Kristine constantly thinks that she is stupid and worthless, and sometimes she has thoughts of killing herself. Nicole cleans her house so much that she doesn't have time to do anything else; she realizes that her house is already clean, but she can't stop herself. Their therapists are most likely treating Kristine for her __________ and treating Nicole for her __________.
A. obsessions; obsessions B. obsessions; compulsions C. compulsions; compulsions D. compulsions; obsessions
The goal of client-centered therapy is to teach clients
a. to reduce the incongruity between the real and ideal self. b. to rely on the empty chair technique to solve problems without help from the therapist. c. to understand the dynamics of transference and countertransference of maladaptive behavior. d. to have unconditional positive regard for everyone. e. to confront their faulty mental sets.
The "law of effect" was first proposed in the modern scientific community by
a. James. b. Skinner. c. Thorndike. d. Pavlov.