Reliability of Cognitive Processes

• Memory is reconstructive, in that it doesn’t record an event faithfully and with complete accuracy at a camera might. Instead, it's retrieved as fragments of the event, sometimes omitting key pieces of info (levelling) or inserting new pieces of info, even changing the order (sharpening). It can be influenced by others' recall as well, or input that occurs after the event that contributed to the schema of it.
• Reconstructive memory is relevant to eyewitness testimonies because when someone’s present at a crime, they become an eyewitness to it. When they give an account of what happened at the scene this is called an eyewitness testimony.
• An eyewitness might be asked leading questions, which is when the answer is kinda already in the question (this leads the witness to the response wanted). This is an example of how information after an event may insert or remove information that leads to the real culprit getting away with it!
• Cognitive bias is a distorted way of perceiving and understanding the world. A heuristic (a short-cut way of thinking that minimizes time and energy needed to make a decision)
• Cognitive bias is not the same as prejudice or discrimination, but may contribute to the formation of stereotypes, since it uses System 1 thinking as proposed by Bonke et al 2014 (doctors), which involves intuitive, automatic thinking with little analysis based on preexisting information.
• A cognitive bias that occurs when we assume two variables have a relationship based on stereotypical assumptions without solid, tangible evidence. Cognitive biases aren't always harmful - think harmless superstitions, where arbitrary factors like clothing choice might affect how good the weather is today.