PT121.S2.P4.Q22

PrepTest 121 - Section 2 - Passage 4 - Question 22

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P1

Leading questions—questions worded in such a way as to suggest a particular answer—can yield unreliable testimony either by design, as when a lawyer tries to trick a witness into affirming a particular version of the evidence of a case, or by accident, when a questioner unintentionally prejudices the witness's response. ███

Problem · Leading questions
Can produce unreliable testimony.
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Solution · Judge can disallow leading questions in the courtroom
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Problem · Leading questions outside the courtroom
A witness's beliefs can be affected by leading questions asked by lawyers, police, reporters, or others before the witness gets in the courtroom.
P2

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Details of problem · New "facts" that don't conflict with memories can become part of memories
If the new "facts" correspond with our memory, they'll be interpreted as reinforcing our memory. If the new "facts" involve a gap in our memory, we may use them to fill in the gap.
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Example · "How fast was the car going when it passed the stop sign?"
The witness may not have seen a stop sign, but when asked this question, may falsely recall seeing one.
P3

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Details of problem · Farther removed from event, more tangential detail -> higher chance new "fact" blends with original memory
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Significance of problem · Tangential details can be critical in the courtroom
Example: Suspect's shirt color or hairstyle might be tangential to witness of robbery. But these are critical to identifying the correct suspect. These kinds of details are exactly the kind susceptible to influence from leading questions.
Passage Style
Problem-analysis
Single position
Show answer
22.

Which one of the following ██ █████████ ██ ███ ███████ ██ █ ███ ██ █████ ███ ████ █████████ ██ █ ███████ ██ █ ███████ ████████ ███ █████████ ██████████

a

They are integrated ████ ███████ ████████ ██ ███████ ███ █████ █████████

Supported. When new data suggested in a leading question corresponds to details as we remember them, we retain the data as reinforcement for the corresponding aspect of our memory.

69%
b

They are stored ███████████ ██ ███████████ ████ ████ ████ ████ █████

The author doesn’t indicate that new data suggested in a leading question fades over time. Timing of an event might influence the likelihood of new data blending with original memories, but that doesn’t imply new data fades over time.

2%
c

They stay more █████ ██ ██████ ████ ██ ██████████ ██████ ██████ █████

The author doesn’t indicate that new data suggested in a leading question is “more vivid” in our memory than older memory data. We might use new data to reinforce our memories, but that doesn’t imply the new data is “more vivid.”

1%
d

They are reinterpreted ██ ██ ██ ██ ██████████ ████ ███ ███████ ███████ ██████ ██ ███████

The author doesn’t mention “reinterpretation” of new data suggested by leading questions. We don’t know that data is reinterpreted if it conflicts with details already in our memory.

25%
e

They are retained ██ ██████ ████ ████ ████ ████████ ████ ██████████ ██████ ██████ █████

We don’t know what happens to data that conflicts with previously stored memory data. We know what happens if it doesn’t conflict.

3%

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