Elasticity in evaluations of criminal evidence: Exploring the role of cognitive dissonance

Purpose. Previous experiments have demonstrated asymmetrical scepticism in investigators' judgments of criminal evidence – evidence inconsistent (vs. consistent) with the dominant hypothesis about a case is judged as less reliable. In addition, some types of evidence (e.g., witness testimony) are more susceptible to asymmetrical scepticism than others (e.g., DNA evidence), indicating varying degrees of elasticity. This article proposes that inconsistent evidence arouses cognitive dissonance, and that the dissonance can be reduced through either asymmetrical scepticism (for high‐elasticity evidence) or belief change (for low‐elasticity evidence). The hypotheses are tested in two experiments. Methods. In both experiments, law students made a preliminary judgment about the guilt of a suspect in a homicide case, and subsequently received a piece of DNA or witness evidence which was either consistent or inconsistent with the preliminary judgment. The extent to which participants changed their guilt judgments, judged the additional evidence as reliable, and felt dissonance served as the main dependent variables. Results. Inconsistent (vs. consistent) evidence did arouse stronger dissonance, but only for witness (and not DNA) evidence. Experienced dissonance (Experiment 1) and dissonance reduction (Experiment 2) accounted for the effect of the evidence on changes in guilt judgments, but not for the effect on reliability judgments. The greatest dissonance reduction was observed among participants who received inconsistent witness evidence but did not change their guilt judgments accordingly. Conclusions. It appears that dissonance plays a significant, although complex, role in investigative judgments of guilt and reliability. Alternative dissonance‐reducing mechanisms that can account for the findings and practical implications are discussed.     

An application of probability theory to a group of breath-alcohol and blood-alcohol data

Many jurisdictions have "per se" driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) status expressed in terms of a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) standard (in grams per 100 mL or the equivalent). Since breath-alcohol (BrAC) analysis is typically employed to determine BAC, there is often challenge to the use of an assumed 2100:1 conversion ratio. This concern may be relevant in light of considerable data that show a low percentage of cases in which BrAC greater than BAC, and this concern increases when the BrAC is used to predict BAC in the context of "per se" legislation. Probability theory provides a basis for estimating the likelihood of an individual having a BrAC greater than or equal to g/210 L with a corresponding BAC less than 0.10 g/100 mL. Actual field data from the state of Wisconsin (n = 404) were evaluated to determine the probability of this occurrence. The probability for this occurrence involves the multiplication law for independent events. The computed probability from the data was 0.018. The actual number of occurrences where BrAC greater than or equal to 0.10 g/210 L and BAC less than 0.10 g/100 mL was 5, resulting in a probability of 0.012. The concern of having BrAC greater than BAC at the critical "per se" level has a very low probability of occurrence, which thus supports the reasonableness of "per se" DWI legislation based upon a blood-alcohol standard determined by breath-alcohol analysis.     

Patrol officers and problem solving: An application of expectancy theory

Problem solving has been recognized as a key aspect of community policing. We use expectancy motivation theory to explain variation in police officers' problem-solving behavior. Specifically, we expect that the amount of problem solving performed by officers will be explained by (1) the opportunity to do so, (2) the ability to do so, (3) the likelihood that officers will be recognized by their performance in this area, and (4) police officers' calculation of the costs and rewards of such behavior. Using data collected from ridealongs with police officers, we find that officers who engage in more problem-solving are motivated by potential recognition of such behavior. We also find that expectancy motivation theory provides a more likely explanation for the behavior of community police officers than that of traditional “beat” officers.     

An unusual pattern of gunshot injury linking two homicides to the same assailant

This case report describes an unusual pattern of gunshot firing that proved useful in convicting one assailant of two murders. The assailant fired into the first victim, successively through the same entrance hole at contact range. This technique of firing twice through the same hole was also demonstrable on his second victim in the bare skull of the decomposed body. This unusual pattern noted in two homicides found two weeks apart, in concert with other circumstantial evidence, led to the successful conviction of the man for both murders.     

“同版“印章的实验研究

制作了13枚"同版"渗透型印章和激光雕刻印章,分析了这些"同版"印章的印面特征和盖印印文特征.研究发现,相同条件下制作的"同版"印章的个体差异十分微小,如果考虑到各种盖印条件下,这些印章盖印印文特征的变化范围,"同版"印章印文的检验是十分困难的,甚至是不可能的.     

Supplements and other changes to an approved application. Final rule

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its regulations on supplements and other changes to an approved application to implement the manufacturing changes provision of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (the Modernization Act). The final rule requires manufacturers to assess the effects of manufacturing changes on the identity, strength, quality, purity, and potency of a drug or biological product as those factors relate to the safety or effectiveness of the product. The final rule sets forth requirements for changes requiring supplement submission and approval before the distribution of the product made using the change, changes requiring supplement submission at least 30 days prior to the distribution of the product, changes requiring supplement submission at the time of distribution, and changes to be described in an annual report.     

Physical health and crime among low-income urban women: An application of general strain theory

Purpose

Although studies of General Strain Theory (GST) typically include measures of physical health in multi-item indices of strain, no work has investigated the independent influence of physical health on criminal offending. The current research explores the relationship between physical health and criminal offending among low-income women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Methods

Using data from the Welfare, Children, and Families (WCF) project, criminal behavior is predicted over two years with measures of physical health, depression, anxiety, competing strain, and relevant background factors.

Results

Poorer physical health at baseline and declines in physical health increase the odds of offending onset among previous non-offenders and reduce the odds of decreased offending among previous offenders. In offending onset models, higher levels of anxiety and depression at baseline and increases in these symptoms partially mediate the effect of poorer baseline health and fully mediate the effect of the loss of physical health. In decreased offending models, increases in anxiety and depression fully mediate the effect of poorer baseline health and partially mediate the effect of the loss of physical health.

Conclusions

The data suggest that poor health and declines in physical health influence both offending onset and offending escalation directly and indirectly through increases in anxiety and depression.     

同频音掩蔽试验及其在法医学鉴定中应用的研究

目的应用同频音掩蔽试验观察不同个体最小对侧掩蔽级(MCML)与主观纯音听阈之间的关系,进而通过MCML判定被试者主观真实听阈。方法30例受试者(60耳)分别进行纯音测听,首先测出双耳的纯音听阈,然后应用同频音掩蔽试验测试各个频率的MCML。结果当被掩蔽耳的声强处于阈值时,掩蔽耳的MCML与主观纯音听阈差值在0～30dBHL之间,其中差值在10dBHL以内的占82.4%,在15dBHL以内的占97.1%;当被掩蔽耳的声强处于阈上10dBHL时,掩蔽耳的MCML与主观听阈间差值在0～35dBHL之间,其中差值在25dBHL以内的占90.5%,在30dBHL以内的占98.1%。结论利用同频音掩蔽试验可以准确地判定各个频率被掩蔽耳的真实主观听阈。特别是对于语音范围内听力状况的法医学评定更具有特殊的意义。     

Explaining crime for a young adult population: An application of general strain theory

Most research informed by general strain theory (GST) concentrated on the young, particularly adolescents. Using data from the National Youth Survey (NYS) Wave 7, in which respondents were asked about their offending when they were ages twenty to twenty-nine, a model of young adult offending was estimated that incorporated variables reflecting strain, as well as control variables related to differential association and control theories and a lagged measure of offending to account for unmeasured dispositional factors. Results revealed that indicators of strain had significant effects on property and violent offending. In analyses of the role of depression, selected forms of strain were related to depression, and depression affected offending for males but not females. Taken as a whole, these findings demonstrated that GST, which was advanced as a general theory of crime, made an important contribution to the understanding of criminal offending among young adults.     

The application of signal detection theory to decision-making in forensic science

Signal Detection Theory (SDT) has come to be used in a wide variety of fields where noise and imperfect signals present challenges to the task of separating hits and correct rejections from misses and false alarms. The application of SDT helps illuminate and improve the quality of decision-making in those fields in a number of ways. The present article is designed to make SDT more accessible to forensic scientists by: (a) explaining what SDT is and how it works, (b) explicating the potential usefulness of SDT to forensic science, (c) illustrating SDT analysis using forensic science data, and (d) suggesting ways to gain the benefits of SDT analyses in the course of carrying out existing programs of quality assessment and other research on forensic science examinations.     

非法经营同类营业罪适用问题探析

非法经营同类营业罪是我国新刑法规定的一个新罪名,但由于这方面的司法实践经验不足,因而在立法上存在一些疏漏:在犯罪主体上,将企业厂长排除在外;在\"非法利益\"的界定上,无论性质方面还是数量方面,均不甚明确.对此,应尽快通过立法或司法解释予以明确,以便更加有效地惩治此类犯罪.     

ABO血型的基因型与法医学应用

ＡＢＯ血型系统是 1 90 1年由Ｌａｎｄｓｔｅｉｎｅｒ首先发现的第一个人类遗传标记。由于ＡＢＯ血型抗原不仅存在于组织细胞 ,也存在于体液中 ,抗原相对稳定 ,保存较持久 ,分型已标准化 ,群体资料丰富 ,故在法医学上一直有着重要的地位。传统的ＡＢＯ分型采用血清学方法 ,但其抗原属糖蛋白易失活 ,自然界中广泛存在类似的物质 ,都会影响检验效果。因ＤＮＡ特殊结构 ,使得稳定性比蛋白更高 ,是携带遗传信息的物质 ,因此 ,从ＤＮＡ水平对ＡＢＯ基因进行分型更能准确地反映个体的差异 ,尤其是ＰＣＲ技术对微量检材的检验 ,ＡＢＯ血型系统的分…     

ABO血型的基因型与法医学应用

ABO血型系统是1901年由Landsteiner首先发现的第一个人类遗传标记.由于ABO血型抗原不仅存在于组织细胞,也存在于体液中,抗原相对稳定,保存较持久,分型已标准化,群体资料丰富,故在法医学上一直有着重要的地位.传统的ABO分型采用血清学方法,但其抗原属糖蛋白易失活,自然界中广泛存在类似的物质,都会影响检验效果.因DNA特殊结构,使得稳定性比蛋白更高,是携带遗传信息的物质,因此,从DNA水平对ABO基因进行分型更能准确地反映个体的差异,尤其是PCR技术对微量检材的检验,ABO血型系统的分子生物学分型法已越来越多地被应用到法医学上[1].