In watch-list screening, the error where an innocent person is incorrectly categorized as a member of the watch list is called a false acceptance.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Both
• D. None

Answer: (A)

In watch-list screening, understanding the errors made by the screening process is key. A false acceptance occurs when the system wrongly treats someone as being on the watch list when they are not; an innocent person is flagged as a match. This is exactly the scenario described in the statement, so the term used—false acceptance—is appropriate and the statement is true.

This is the mirror concept of a false rejection, which happens when someone on the watch list is not flagged. In practice, these terms capture the trade-off between catching real threats and avoiding unnecessary alarms. Some contexts also refer to this as a false positive, but in watch-list screening the phrasing false acceptance is the common terminology for this specific error.