Impulse Overrides Cognition
This trap appears as a wrong-answer choice in 1 active question. Spotting how it is built is the repair: read each example's “why it's attractive” before the “why it's wrong.”
Subject distribution
- Criminal Law1
Example wrong choices
20654_nativity_ornaments_volition · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice ALydia has an insanity defense because she has a recognized mental disease.
Why it's attractive
This choice grabs the mental-disease fact and treats it as enough. The breaker is that the call needs a legal incapacity, not a diagnosis alone.
Why it's wrong
The choice proves a threshold diagnosis but does not state the legal incapacity that answers the call.
Spot it next time
Mark diagnosis as threshold only, then look for cognition or volition.
20654_nativity_ornaments_volition · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice CLydia has no insanity defense because she knew breaking the ornaments was wrong.
Why it's attractive
This choice correctly notices that Lydia knew the damage was wrong. The breaker is that knowledge defeats only M'Naghten, not the irresistible-impulse supplement.
Why it's wrong
The choice answers the cognition lane only and ignores the volitional supplement named in the stem.
Spot it next time
Use the Gold Key: cognition fails, volition may survive.
20654_nativity_ornaments_volition · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice DLydia has an insanity defense under M'Naghten because the impulse overrides her cognition.
Why it's attractive
This choice hears the impulse fact and tries to use it. The breaker is that impulse belongs to the irresistible-impulse lane, not the M'Naghten lane.
Why it's wrong
The choice places the impulse-control fact under M'Naghten, which is the wrong test label.
Spot it next time
Attach impulse-control facts to irresistible impulse, not M'Naghten.
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