by Laura Damone Thu Feb 20, 2020 2:04 pm
Gladly!
Question 15 is a tough main point question, in part because the passage makes so many points. Paragraph 1 covered the fact that accomplice and informant testimony is commonly used. Paragraph 2 tells us that this testimony is given in exchange for an incentive, giving folks a good reason to fabricate it. What's more, P2 also tells us that false testimony is almost never prosecuted, so informants have a lot to gain but little to lose by lying. P3 tells us that there are supposed safeguards to protect the accused, but that these safeguards don't always work. P4 tells us about psychological research on confession testimony, and the ways in which it could impact a juror's reaction to accomplice and informant testimony. And P5 explains a common psychological phenomenon that might explain the research in P4.
WHEW! That's a lot of info! The correct answer has to be broad enough that it can encompass all of those points. Answer choice E is too narrow in scope, focusing mainly on the topic of P2 - incentives. While it's true that later paragraphs discuss incentives, too, it's in the context of jurors failing to recognize the potential role incentives play. It is not, as E suggests, more evidence that incentives heavily influence the testimony of accomplice and informant witnesses.
Laura Damone
LSAT Content & Curriculum Lead | Manhattan Prep