Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony

• What is the role of eyewitnesses in court?

  To provide evidence that could lead to convictions
• What factors can affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?

  Misleading information, post-event discussion, and anxiety
• What is misleading information in the context of eyewitness testimony?

  • Information that alters memory recall
  • Can include leading questions
  • Influences accuracy of testimony
• Who argued that memories are reconstructive?

  Bartlett
• What is a schema according to Bartlett?

  Packages of information used to understand the world
• How do schemas affect eyewitness testimony?

  Schemas can lead to errors in memory recall
• What are false memories according to Bartlett?

  Confabulations that result from reconstructive memory
• What is substitution bias in memory recall?

  When an old memory is replaced by a new one
• What is response bias in memory recall?

  Emotional pressure alters the reported memory
• What is post-event discussion?

  • Contamination of eyewitness testimony
  • Occurs when witnesses discuss their memories
  • Can lead to memory conformity
• What is memory conformity?

  Witnesses change recall to match others' accounts
• How did Loftus demonstrate the effect of leading questions?

  By changing verbs in questions about accidents
• What was the result of Loftus's study on leading questions?

  Extreme verbs led to higher speed estimates
• What happened in Loftus's follow-up questionnaire?

  More participants reported seeing broken glass
• What did Gabbert's study reveal about eyewitness testimony?

  Witnesses included items not seen in their video
• What is the weapon focus effect?

  Witnesses focus on weapons, not faces
• How does anxiety affect eyewitness testimony?

  It can either decrease or increase recall accuracy
• What is the Yerkes-Dodson law of arousal?

  It describes the relationship between anxiety and recall
• What did Johnson and Scott's study find about anxiety and recall?

  Participants identified the man with a pen better
• What did Peters's study reveal about anxiety and recall?

  Recall was worse for identifying a nurse
• What did Uvul and Kutchal's research find about eyewitness recall?

  Recall was highly accurate despite stress
• What are the limitations of eyewitness testimony research?

  • Low validity due to lab settings
  • Demand characteristics may influence results
  • Ethical concerns regarding participant harm
• What is the cognitive interview?

  A method to improve eyewitness testimony accuracy
• Why is incorrect eyewitness testimony problematic?

  It can lead to wrongful convictions
• What is a potential issue with lab studies on eyewitness testimony?

  They may lack real-world consequences
• What is a demand characteristic in research?

  Participants guess what researchers want
• Why might research on anxiety be considered unethical?

  It can cause harm and lacks consent
• What should participants do in a study about witnessing a murder?

  Recall details of the event they witnessed
• What should you consider when answering exam questions on eyewitness testimony?

  • Factors affecting accuracy
  • Research studies and their findings
  • Real-world applications and implications