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Related Concept Videos

Eyewitness Memory01:22

Eyewitness Memory

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Eyewitness memory refers to the recollection of events by someone who has directly witnessed them, often serving as critical evidence in legal settings. This type of memory is commonly used in criminal cases where a witness describes details like a suspect's appearance, clothing, or behavior during a crime. However, despite its perceived reliability, eyewitness memory is prone to significant errors.
One such error is memory distortion, which occurs because human memory does not function...
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Memory is categorized into three major systems: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). These systems differ in their capacity and the duration for which they can hold information. Sensory memory captures raw sensory input from the environment, holding it for just a few seconds or less. For example, on hearing a brief, loud sound, like a car horn honking, the sound seems to linger in the mind for a moment even after it stops. This is an instance of sensory memory...
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Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
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Long-term memory is a relatively permanent type of memory, capable of storing vast amounts of information over extended periods. Its storage capacity is generally considered unlimited.
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Holistic Facial Composite Creation and Subsequent Video Line-up Eyewitness Identification Paradigm
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Rethinking the Reliability of Eyewitness Memory.

John T Wixted1, Laura Mickes2, Ronald P Fisher3

  • 11 Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego.

Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science
|May 3, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Eyewitness memory is reliable when uncontaminated and tested properly, challenging the prevailing legal view of its inherent unreliability. Proper procedures ensure accurate eyewitness accounts, even in cases later overturned by DNA evidence.

Keywords:
Cognitive Interviewconfidence and accuracyeyewitness identification

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Forensic Science
  • Legal Psychology

Background:

  • Prevailing view: eyewitness memory is unreliable.
  • Malleability of memory and misidentifications contribute to wrongful convictions.
  • DNA exonerations highlight issues in the legal system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Re-evaluate the reliability of eyewitness memory.
  • Argue for eyewitness memory's reliability under specific conditions.
  • Distinguish eyewitness errors from systemic legal errors.

Main Methods:

  • Review of psychological research on memory.
  • Analysis of legal system procedures impacting eyewitness testimony.
  • Comparison of eyewitness reliability to other forensic evidence.

Main Results:

  • Eyewitness memory is reliable if uncontaminated and tested properly.
  • Proper procedures apply to both recognition (lineups) and recall (interviews).
  • Many wrongful convictions stem from systemic issues, not eyewitness unreliability.

Conclusions:

  • Eyewitness memory is scientifically sound when not contaminated.
  • Proper testing procedures are crucial for reliable eyewitness evidence.
  • Eyewitnesses are often reliable initial reporters, even in reversed convictions.