Eyewitness Memory

Question 1

What is the difference between physical evidence and eyewitness evidence?

Answer 1

Physical Evidence:
> Protocols for collecting, preserving and interpretating etc
> Scientific foundation to avoid contamination
> often ‘circumstantial’

Eyewitness evidence:
> typically collected by non-specialists in human memory
> collecting, preserving etc has not incorperated psy research to the extent that it could
> often directly links a suspect to a crime

Question 2

What is the misinformation effect?

Answer 2

Exposure to incorrect information after the event has happened cause people to incorporate this misinformation into their memories.

Question 3

What are the different ways which a witness might encounter the misinformation effect?

Answer 3

1. Leading questions eg what speed was the car going when it smashed/hit?
2. Media reports eg showed Ps pictures of someone shoplifting; read a description; misleading information was incorporated into their description
3. Co-witness discussion

Question 4

What are the theories regarding the misinformation effect?

Answer 4

1. Modification of the memory:
   a) Alteration theories
   b) Coexistence theories
2. Social and demand factors

Question 5

What are factors influencing susceptibility to the misinformation effect?

Answer 5

> Making a public statement straight away
Less time between witnessing the even and the misinformatino being presented
the misinformation blatantly contradicts - contingency
the credibility of the source
suggestability

Question 6

Study 1: Comparing ways to encounter misinformation

Answer 6

1) Stimulus: CRIME VIDEO
2) 1st delay: 1 WEEK
3) Post event info
> leading questions
>media report
> indirect co-witness info
> co-witness discussion with confederate
> control
4) 2nd delay: 20 MINUTES

Results:
No effect of post event info type on memory accuracy for control items
BUT
Direct and indirect co-witness conditions were much more accurate for accurate info and much less accurate for misleading.

Question 7

Study 2: Can the detrimental effects of co-witness info be decreased by warning the participants about misinformation?

Answer 7

Results: Discussion type and Warning had no effect on eyewitness accuracy or confidence

Question 8

What is the alteration theory?

Answer 8

The original information does not exist:

a) Vacant slot: original information not encoded therefore misonformation accepted
b) overwriting: postevent overwrites original
c) blend: encode misinfo is same cognitive structure as original therefore they blend

Question 9

What is coexistence theory?

Answer 9

Both misinfomation and original are stored and able to be recovered. Not replaced, just less accessible

Question 10

Response bias theory?

Answer 10

If cant remember and presented with misinformation then have no reason to doubt the new information.