Eyewitness Testimony Flashcards
Reconstructive memory stages
Perception/Attention
Encoding: gathering information and putting it in a form that can be held in memory (events, situations, etc).
Retention/Storage: how information is stored over time; short term vs. long term
Retrieval: find (or access) what has been stored
Eyewitness Testimony
The memory you have after you witness a crime or an event
Reporting memories = eyewitness evidence
Why is eyewitness testimony important
Police investigations
Arresting/Charging a Suspect
Convicting or exonerating a suspect in court
Hugo Münsterberg
On the witness stand
Type of critical info witnesses can supply
Memory for people:
Criminal descriptions (recall)
Identifications (recognition)
Recognition memory
Memory for events:
Interviews
Recall memory
Criminal Descriptions
Functions:
Provide a basis for the construction of an artist’s sketch
Narrows search of possible suspects
Basis for selection of lineup members
Proper Interview Techniques
Open ended; not suggestive or misleading; individual interviews; enhanced cognitive interview
Research:
Vague (e.g., tall, brunette, male, medium build, wearing a black jacket and jeans)
Adults provide approximately 7 – 10 descriptors on average (Pozzulo & Warren, 2003)
Clothing is the most common descriptor (likely to change)
Most accurate: Hair (Wagstafff, et al., 2003)
Most inaccurate: Height, weight, eye colour
Recent strategy for criminal description
Use of a “standard” person for reference while responding to questions about target
Was the culprit’s hair shorter or longer than mine?
Does not appear to improve the accuracy of descriptors
May aid witnesses when recalling descriptors that often are not remembered, such as the appearance of the eyes, nose, or mouth
Lineup Identification
Function:
To gain proof about the likelihood the suspect is the culprit beyond the information provided in the description.
How are lineups presented
Live Videos (most desired) Photographs (most common) More convenient: -Less time-consuming to construct; -Portable (witness doesn’t have to be at police station). -Suspect doesn’t have right to counsel -Suspect can’t draw attention to him/herself -Decrease anxiety experienced by witness
Show Up Method
Only the suspect is shown to the witness
May be used if:
Death-bed ID
Suspect is apprehended close (time/place) to crime scene
Pro: Absolute judgment likely
Con: Biased witness knows the person the police suspect
Simultaneous Method
The suspect is placed among fillers or foils.
All lineup members are shown at one time
Elicits a relative judgment
Correct 70-75% of the time
Sequential Method
All lineup members are shown individually in a sequence
Witness MUST make a decision BEFORE seeing another member
Witness CANNOT see previously seen photos and does NOT know how many photos they will be shown
Elicits an absolute judgment (Wells et al., 1998)
Correct 65-70% of the time
Standard Instructions when presenting lineups
Person of interest may or may not be in the collection of photos (or live lineup), therefore, you should not feel that someone must be chosen.
He may or may not have the same appearance as at the time he was observed. Keep in mind that appearances and clothing change.
If you recognize someone, provide the person’s number and the basis of your recognition.
Memory is a mixture of:
What actually happened
What a person heard about the event
Feelings about what happened
Any other information used to ‘fill in gaps
** Memory is suggestible
Elizabeth Loftus (Loftus & Pickrell, 1992)
Conducted a study to see if she could implant memories.
Told participants some stories of their past: some were true and one that was made up.
25% incorporated the memory (in full or in part) as real and even elaborated on the details.
