EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY: MISLEADING INFORMATION

• EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY 


  ‘An area of memory research that investigates the accuracy of memory following an accident, crime or significant event, and the types of errors that are commonly made in such situations’.
• Schemas 


  ‘mental structures or knowledge packages that are built up through past experiences and expectations of the world, and which aid the interpretation of new information’.
• Reconstructive memory 


  ‘a term usually associated with Bartlett, which refers to memory distorted by the individual’s prior knowledge and expectations’.
• Misleading information 


   Incorrect information given to the eyewitness usually after the event, e.g. leading questions and post-event discussion between co-witnesses and/or other people.
• Leading question 


   A question which, because of the way it is phrased, suggests a certain answer, E.g. “Was the knife in the accused’s left hand?”.   This can influence how a person decides to answer (response bias) or changes the person’s memory (substitution explanation).  

  • Response bias explanation = 

  Wording of a question has no enduring effect on an eyewitnesses memory of an event, but influences the kind of answer given.

  • Substitution explanation =

  Wording of a question does effect eyewitness memory, it interferes with the original memory, distorting its accuracy. 
• Post-event discussion (PED) 


  Occurs when there is more than one witness to an event.  Witnesses may discuss what they have seen with the co-witnesses or with other people.  Therefore EWT may become altered or distorted (memory contamination) or go along with each other for social approval or because they believe the other witnesses are right (memory conformity)
• Memory contamination 


  When co-witnesses discuss a crime, the mix (mis)information from other witnesses with their own memories. 
• Memory conformity 


  Witnesses go along with each other to win social approval or because they believe the other witnesses are right.