Which of the following is true about medication and innocent subjects?

• A. Medication has no effect
• B. Legitimate use of medication can distort behavior
• C. Medication only affects guilty subjects
• D. Medication always clarifies behavior

Answer: (B)

Medications can change how people think, feel, and act, even when they’re used appropriately for someone who is innocent. This is why the statement that legitimate use of medication can distort behavior is the most accurate. Drugs alter brain function to relieve symptoms, and those changes can shift observable behavior, mood, alertness, or reaction time. In evaluations or legal contexts, this means someone who is innocent might appear calmer, slower to respond, more cooperative, or otherwise differently than their unmedicated baseline, which can be misinterpreted if the medication effects aren’t considered.

For example, a sedating medication can slow responses and blunt affect, making someone seem disengaged or unresponsive. A stimulant can sharpen focus and reduce impulsivity, which might be read as deliberate control rather than symptom relief. An anti-anxiety or antidepressant can lessen agitation or distress, potentially altering how guilt, remorse, or fear are expressed.

The other statements don’t fit because medications do have effects, they don’t only affect guilty subjects, and they don’t always make behavior clearer—often they can obscure or distort it.