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What can a perception-memory expert tell a jury?
1Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1525, USA. gloftus@u.washington.edu
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|April 13, 2010
Summary
Expert testimony on perception and memory can clarify why witness confidence may be inappropriately high in forensic cases. This helps juries understand how factors like witness-object distance affect eyewitness accounts.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Eyewitness Testimony Research
Background:
- Witnesses to crimes may exhibit high confidence in their memories, which can be disproportionate to the circumstances.
- Research in perception and memory provides a scientific basis for evaluating the reliability of such testimonies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explain how expert testimony on perception and memory can inform juries about potentially inflated witness confidence.
- To outline common factors influencing perception and memory in forensic contexts.
- To detail the application of these factors in specific legal cases.
Main Methods:
- Review of research in perception and memory.
- Categorization of common factors affecting eyewitness accounts based on their applicability to specific cases.
- Detailed analysis of witness-object distance as a factor influencing perception.
Main Results:
- Certain factors affecting perception and memory can lead to inappropriately high witness confidence.
- These factors can be categorized by their degree of unambiguous and quantitative application to a case.
- Witness-object distance significantly impacts perception, with expert analysis offering case-specific examples.
Conclusions:
- Expert testimony is crucial for educating juries on the science of perception and memory in relation to eyewitness confidence.
- A systematic approach to analyzing perceptual and memory factors is necessary for evaluating eyewitness reliability.
- Understanding factors like distance is vital for accurate interpretation of forensic evidence.
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