memory and the law

Question 1

why was Ronald Cotton wrongly convicted of crimes that sent him to prison for 10 years?

Answer 1

the victim misidentified him during eyewitness identification

Question 2

memory for a crime or other dramatic event witnessed =

Answer 2

eyewitness memory

Question 3

what recognition task is used in eyewitness memory?

Answer 3

identification in mugshots/lineups

Question 4

what recall is used in eyewitness memory?

Answer 4

giving a statement/testimony

Question 5

describe results from Loftus & Palmer’s eyewitness memory error experiment

Answer 5

IV = descriptive word (smashed or hit) to describe the video of 2 cars crashing, ppts asked if any broken glass 1 week later. yes responses were higher (x2) in group with smashed word showing that wording influences eyewitness memory

Question 6

what things affect eyewitness memory?

Answer 6

interpretation effects, schema processes, false memories, implicit social demands, stress, arousal

Question 7

what 2 things is eyewitness memory errors particularly affected by?

Answer 7

post-event information effects and arousal effects

Question 8

participant memory is altered to conform with misleading post-event information =

Answer 8

post-event information effect

Question 9

what are the 3 explanations for post-event information?

Answer 9

memory replacement theory, blocking theory, source monitoring theory

Question 10

misleading info replaces the original info so that the original info is permanently lost or altered = what post-event information explanation?

Answer 10

memory replacement theory

Question 11

misleading and original info coexist in memory but the original info is blocked by newer info which makes the old info harder to retrieve (retroactive interference) = what post-event info explanation?

Answer 11

blocking theory

Question 12

is a lexical decision making task a direct or indirect memory test?

Answer 12

indirect

Question 13

misleading post-event information effect is caused by a source monitoring error = what post-event info explanation?

Answer 13

source monitoring theory

Question 14

give an example of a reality source monitoring error

Answer 14

info from other sources is mistaken for a self experienced memory e.g. believing what another bystander may have seen

Question 15

how was unconscious transference shown in the survival school stress study?

Answer 15

84% of ppts misidentified the person in the (unrelated) photo as their interogator

Question 16

what does the Yerkes-Dodson law suggest about arousal levels and memory?

Answer 16

maximum memory = medium level of arousal/stress, memory will be weak if arousal is too low or too high

Question 17

what hypothesis states that attention and arousal interact to determine cue-utilisation?

Answer 17

easterbrook hypothesis

Question 18

what patterns do peripheral details and central details show?

Answer 18

peripheral = yerkes dodson curve, central = linear

the more we are aroused the more we can remember central details to the situation

Question 19

increase in memory for a weapon along with a decline in memory for other details =

Answer 19

weapon focus effect

less attention on face of person holding the weapon

Question 20

surprising/unexpected objects attract an observers attention due to their inconsistency with the activated schema =

Answer 20

unusual item hypothesis

Question 21

give an example of the unusual item hypothesis

Answer 21

canada robbery > robber holds a goose > eyewitnesses drawn towards goose as surprised > attention drawn away from robber > difficulty identifying him

Question 22

Fawcett et al’s meta analysis on weapon focus effect: how many studies and effect sizes?

Answer 22

28 studies, 47 effect sizes

Question 23

Fawcett et al’s meta analysis on weapon focus effect: what were the findings?

Answer 23

larger effect sizes in threatening compared to non-threatening situations (linked to arousal), larger effect sizes for unusual compared to neutral items

Question 24

what does a larger effect size in unusual items suggest?

Answer 24

that a strong surprise from unusual items may lead to arousal levels similar to those evoked by weapons

Question 25

in what type of people are memory errors often even more pronounced?

Answer 25

children and vulnerable eyewitnesses

Question 26

what features were found to make the interview analysis of the McMartin preschool case very contaminated? (Schreiber et al’s interview analysis)

Answer 26

reinforcement/feedback, repetition of questions, co-witness info/pressure, inviting speculation, prodding of info, introducing new information

Question 27

is eyewitness confidence an indicator of memory accuracy ?

Answer 27

no, average accuracy-confidence correlation: r=0.29 (very low), jurors often advised not to take eyewitness confidence into account as isn’t a good indicator that a memory is true

Question 28

what 3 things make eyewitnesses more or less confident?

Answer 28

confirmatory feedback, repeated questioning, external motivation

Question 29

repeated questioning _____ confidence

Answer 29

increases. makes information easier to access and recall > higher retrieval fluency increases confidence independent of memory accuracy

Question 30

what can eyewitness memory be improved by?

Answer 30

recognition and recall

Question 31

what are Wixted & Well’s recommendations to reduce eyewitness memory errors?

Answer 31

treat line ups as experiments, be aware of effects on confidence, minimise memory contamination. control conditions, use double blind procedures to minimise unconscious biases, assess confidence at first time of identification (not after repeated identification/questioning when confidence increases)

Question 32

when conducting a line up what should be done to improve reduce eyewitness memory errors

Answer 32

include only 1 suspect and at least 5 known innocent fillers to increase guessing chance, use adequate fillers so suspect doesn’t stand out, caution witnesses that suspect may not be in lineup (to minimise motivational effects)

Question 33

what factors make eyewitness memory highly reliable?

Answer 33

memory probed for first time and isn’t yet contaminated, interview protocols used, avoid suggestive Qs and minimise guessing, investigator = sensitive to witness’ level of confidence

Question 34

interview protocol based on memory principles to maximise amount of correct info and minimise amount of incorrect info from witness =

Answer 34

cognitive interviews

Question 35

what features of cognitive interviews help eyewitnesses?

Answer 35

reinstate context of event (environment, sound, smells), encourage all peripheral and irrelevant details, recall from different time points, take on different perspectives, don’t interrupt the witness

Question 36

when is eyewitness confidence only a good predictor of memory accuracy?

Answer 36

when memory is uncontaminated and probed adequately