The Psychology of Eyewitness Testimony Is Eyewitness testimony

The Psychology of Eyewitness Testimony Is Eyewitness testimony a valid means of determining guilt? Three stages of processing an important event Encoding Storage Retrieval Factors that can affect eyewitness memory in these three stages • Encoding stage factors Stress, Violence, Unconscious Transference • Storage stage factors Time factors • Retrieval stage factors Expectations, Misremembering

Maintenance Attention Rehearsal Encoding Sensory Input Memory. 5” - 3” duration Working Memory 10” - 15” duration LTM Indefinite duration Retrieval

The Psychology of the Eyewitness Testimony Approximately 48% of all wrongful convictions are due to misidentification

REALITY DECISION YES, that’s the guilty person NO, that’s not the guilty person It really is the criminal It’s not the criminal 48%

Dr. Elizabeth Loftus

Three Steps in Processing an Important Event: • The encoding stage--perception of the original event • The storage stage--time between the event and the recollection of a piece of information • The retrieval stage--recall of the stored information

Encoding Stage Factors: • Stress • Yerkes-Dodson Law - revisited briefly • Violence • Weapons Focus - Loftus. • Violence towards a Child - Loftus and Burns • Unconscious Transference • Donald Thompson - falsely accused • Robbery in the Cafeteria - Ross and Ceci

Storage Stage Factors • Time Factors • A Self Test • How Long Before We Forget? -Shepherd

Shepard Results 99. 7% 92% 87% % Recalled 57. 7% 2 Hrs. 3 Days 7 Days 4 Mths.

Retrieval Stage Factors • Expectations • Telephone game - Allport and Postman • Mis-remembering and the Just Desserts Case • Misinformation Effect - Loftus