SECTION 1 – MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (Questions 1 – 10)

Circle the correct answer

1. Which of the following is NOT a part of a Criminal Psychologists role?

A. Evaluate the mental capacity of criminals

B. Determine if criminals are legally competent
C. Decide whether a criminal should get the death penalty or not
D. Psychologically evaluate defendant criminals using standardised tests

2. Passive blood spatter is defined as:

A. Blood that drops, flows and/or pools due to gravity

B. Wet blood that has come into contact with another object such as a shoe or handprint
C. Blood that flies off an object whilst in motion
D. Blood that is formed by a tremendous force hitting it causing the blood to atomize into a fine mist

3. The picture below is an example of what type of blood spatter?

A. Passive spatter
B. Transfer spatter
C. Projected spatter
D. Satellite spatter

4. Projected blood spatter can be categorised into three types called:

A. Blood in blood, satellite or pools

B. Swipe, wipe, and prints
C. Smooth, regular, or rough texture
D. Low, medium, or high velocity

5. There has been evidence that serial killers have a smaller prefrontal cortex in their brains. Which part
of the biopsychosocial model could be used to describe this finding?

A. Biological
B. Psychological
C. Social
D. None of the above
6. Which of these is NOT a symptom of Psychopathy?

A. Aggression
B. Lack of remorse
C. Empathy
D. A desire for control

7. What is the name of the gene that is lined to violence?

A. The ‘fighter’ gene

B. The ‘soldier’ gene
C. The ‘combat’ gene
D. The ‘warrior’ gene

8. According to the DSM-V, what is the correct, updated term for Psychopathy?

A. Narcissistic Personality Disorder

B. Anti-social Personality Disorder
C. Borderline Personality Disorder
D. Disassociate Identity Disorder

9. Which of these is NOT true about the DSM?

A. It is used all over the world including the Middle East and Asia
B. It lists the symptoms and criteria of mental health disorders
C. It is regularly updated, with the current version being the 5th edition
D. It is used to assist practitioners in diagnosing patients with mental health issues

10. Which of the following is NOT measured by a polygraph machine?

A. Heart rate
B. Breathing rate
C. Dilation of pupils
D. Galvanic skin response
 SECTION 2 – SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (Questions 11 - 19)

11. Define the term ‘Forensic Psychology.’

The study of the thoughts, emotions and behaviours/intentions that contribute to criminal behaviour.
(2 marks)

12. Criminology is the study of:

The study of the causes of crime and ways to prevent and/or control it. (2 marks)

13. Explain what ‘Criminal Profiling’ means and give two examples of steps involved in the process.

Criminal profiling is intended to help investigators to accurately predict and profile the characteristics of
unknown criminal subjects or offenders.

Steps in criminal profiling (any two of the following):

The crime is compared to other similar crimes from the past.

The crime scene is analysed.

The life of the victim is analysed.

The motivation of the crime is analysed.

A description of the possible offender is developed.

14. a. What is the scientific term for a ‘lie-detector test’?

Polygraph (1 mark)

b. Explain how a lie detector works, with reference to and explanations of control questions and relevant
questions.

The polygraph test measures heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and galvanic skin response. A
polygraph test compares a person’s physiological activity while in a relaxed state with their physiological
activity when asked an emotionally charged question. Control Questions are used to establish a baseline
physiological response which can be used for comparison purposes. Relevant questions are those which
relate to the investigation. During the test, relevant questions are mixed with control questions. The
control questions are usually strung together, as though they are part of ‘small talk’ and relevant
questions are unexpectedly presented to the person being tested. If physiological responses are weaker
on the control questions, it is inferred the person is lying.

(4 marks)
c. Discuss one limitation of a lie detector test.

Guilt and anxiety show similar physiological changes. A dishonest person may be able to beat the
polygraph if they can control their responses. Have very low validity (accuracy).

(2 marks)

15. State three characteristics of a Psychopath, as outlined in the DSM.

Any 3 of the following:

 Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours as indicated by repeatedly
performing acts that are grounds for arrest;

 Deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or
pleasure;

 Impulsivity, or failure to plan ahead;

 Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;

 Reckless disregard for safety of self or others;

 Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behaviour or

honour financial obligations;

 Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated or stolen
from another.

(3 marks)

16. According to Bowlby, what may occur if an infant fails to form a lasting attachment with their mother?

Consequences may be delinquency, aggression, depression and psychopathy.

(2 marks)

17. The Macdonald Triad is a set of three factors that has been suggested if all three or a combination of
two are present, it is a predictor of later violent tendencies.

Fill in the blanks of the MacDonald Triad diagram below:

 (3 marks)

Enuresis (bedwetting also acceptable), torture of animals and fire starting/arson.

18. True or false? (circle the correct answer)

a. Micro-expressions can be analysed to determine one’s true emotions. TRUE FALSE

b. Arthur Aron developed the eye contact experiment on empathy. TRUE FALSE

c. Machiavellianism is not a part of the Dark Triad of criminal behaviour. TRUE FALSE

(3 marks)

19. State three characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as outlined in the DSM.
Any 3 of the following:

 Grandiose views of one’s importance

 Preoccupation with one’s success, brilliance, beauty

 Belief that one is special and can be understood only by other high-status people

 Extreme need for admiration

 Strong sense of entitlement

 Tendency to exploit others

 Lack of empathy

 Envious of others

 Arrogant behaviour or attitudes

(3 marks)
 SECTION 3 – EXTENDED RESPONSE QUESTION (Question 20)

20. Sef Gonzales (born 16 September 1980) is a Filipino Australian who was convicted and sentenced in
the Supreme Court of New South Wales to life imprisonment for the July 2001 murder of his father
Teodoro "Teddy" Gonzales, aged 46 years, his mother Mary Loiva Gonzales, aged 43 years, and his
sister Clodine Gonzales, aged 18 years, in Sydney, Australia.
When Sef only ten years old, he was trapped in the rubble of a building when it collapsed after an
earthquake. He sustained serious head injuries but recovered.
The family appeared to be close-knit: the parents, however, were devout Catholics who, as tiger
parents, had high hopes and strict expectations for their children. In particular, they had hoped their
son would perform well academically, give up his musical and singing aspirations, and embark on a
career in medicine or law. After attending Parramatta Marist High School, Gonzales studied medical
science at the University of New South Wales but withdrew after two years. He then enrolled in law
at Macquarie University. Performing poorly in his courses and at risk of expulsion, Gonzales tried to
cover up his failure by falsifying his grades. When this was revealed by his sister to his parents, they
threatened to withdraw certain privileges such as the use of his prized car, a green Ford Festiva.
Gonzales also argued with his mother over a girlfriend of whom she disapproved, and his family
threatened to disinherit him. This, along with Gonzales's desire to inherit the family's assets, were later
established by police as motives for killing his family.
On 10 July 2001, at about 4:00 p.m., Gonzales left the family's law firm, where he worked part-time,
and headed to the family home. Around 4:30 pm, armed with a baseball bat from his car and with two
kitchen knives from a knife block in the kitchen, he entered Clodine's bedroom and assaulted her while
she was studying. There he compressed her neck while trying to strangle her, struck her head with the
bat at least six times, and then stabbed her multiple times with the smaller of the knives. The cause of
Clodine's death was a combination of the compression of her neck, blunt force head injuries, and
abdominal stab wounds. Gonzales then waited until Loiva arrived home about 5:30 p.m. After entering
the house, Gonzales attacked her with one of the kitchen knives in the living/dining room. Gonzales
inflicted multiple stab wounds and cuts to her face, neck, chest, and abdomen.
At the funeral of his family, many attendees noticed that Sef did not appear as sad as they expected.
When convicted, Sef did not express remorse for his crimes.
Using the information above, answer the below questions on the biopsychosocial model of behaviour:
a. Describe two biological factors that may have contributed to Sef’s behaviour (4 marks)
b. Describe two psychological factors that may have contributed to Sef’s behaviour (4 marks)
c. Describe two social factors that may have contributed to Sef’s behaviour (4 marks)
Psychological communication – correct psychological terminology, spelling, grammar, clear and
coherent (4 marks)
Description of biological factors as highlighted above – described well. Can also discuss
physiological responses, hormones etc.

Description of psychological factors as highlighted above – described well.

Description of social factors as highlighted above – described well.