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Published on: December 24, 2015
Public eyewitness confidence ratings can differ from those held privately.
J S Shaw1, T K Zerr, K A Woythaler
1Department of Psychology, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. shawj@lafayette.edu
Law and Human Behavior
|June 23, 2001
Summary
Eyewitnesses express lower confidence publicly than privately, especially when their accounts may be challenged. This difference in eyewitness confidence does not impact accuracy, suggesting self-presentation influences public ratings.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
Background:
- Eyewitness confidence is crucial in legal settings.
- Little is known about how public versus private confidence ratings differ.
- Self-presentation theory suggests public ratings may be influenced by social factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if eyewitness confidence ratings differ between public and private conditions.
- To test the hypothesis that public ratings are lower due to self-presentation concerns.
Main Methods:
- 96 participants watched a simulated robbery video.
- Participants answered 16 questions about the video details.
- Confidence ratings were collected either publicly (shared aloud) or privately.
Main Results:
- Eyewitness confidence ratings were significantly lower in the public condition compared to the private condition.
- The manipulation of public versus private reporting did not affect response accuracy.
- Results support the self-presentation theory's prediction.
Conclusions:
- Eyewitnesses may adjust their confidence levels based on social context.
- Public confidence ratings may not accurately reflect private convictions.
- Further research is needed on the implications of public eyewitness confidence.
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