Cognitive Debate Flashcards
What is the cognitive debate?
The reliability of eye-witness testimony
What is meant by eye-witness testimony?
A person witnessing a crime and reporting what they recall from memory to court
What are the three chosen themes for the debate?
Crimes are emotive experiences
Children as eye-witnesses
Prevalence of exonerations due to eye-witness testimony’s
What is the argument FOR the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to crimes are emotive experiences?
Psychologists believe traumatic events that are significant to us, create an accurate long-term memory known as ‘flashbulb memories’ therefore can be recalled
What is the argument AGAINST the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to crimes are emotive experiences?
Yerkes - Dodson Law Organisation suggested an increase in emotion during an event can decrease performance therefore heightened emotion can cause memory recall to be less accurate
What is the SOCIAL IMPLICATION of the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to crimes are emotive experiences?
Unethical and immoral to place huge pressures on people in which their recall can cause consequences on other lives
What is the argument FOR the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to children as eye-witnesses?
Davies et al (1989) found children between the ages 6 - 7 and 10 - 11 have a fairly accurate recall of events and do not tend to exaggerate therefore are reliable
What is the argument AGAINST the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to children as eye-witnesses?
Psychologists have found that children are more likely to be affected by leading questions and are impressionable by suggestions from others
What is the SOCIAL IMPLICATION of the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to children as eye-witnesses?
It is morally wrong and irresponsible to put extreme pressures on children as witnesses and risk them of psychological harm
What is the argument FOR the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to prevalence of exonerations?
Police officers must instruct the victim that the perpetrator may not be present to prevent ‘false yes’ and therefore wrong convictions
A safer society for all
What is the argument AGAINST the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to prevalence of exonerations?
Innocent project - 44/375 people pled guilty to crimes they did not commit and creates risks that real criminals are still out in society
What is the SOCIAL IMPLICATION of the reliability of eye-witness testimony in relation to prevalence of exonerations ?
Government statistics show up to £40,000 a year is spent to keep one innocent person in prison
