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Would reading an account of an event refresh your memory?
E S Magner1, R Markham, C Barnett
1Faculty of Law, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. emagner@metz.une.edu.au
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Reviewing accounts before testifying improves witness accuracy in free recall but not direct questions. Preparing witness testimony through account review enhances performance consistency, crucial for pretrial preparation.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Legal Psychology
Background:
- Witnesses may review accounts before testifying.
- This review can involve self-produced or experimenter-prepared accounts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of reviewing accounts on witness memory accuracy and consistency.
- To compare the impact of self-produced versus experimenter-prepared accounts.
Main Methods:
- Participants reviewed self-produced, accurate, or misleading accounts before recall.
- A control group did not review any account.
- Accuracy was assessed via free recall and direct questions; consistency was measured across testing sessions.
Main Results:
- Reviewing accounts improved free recall accuracy compared to no review.
- No significant difference in direct question accuracy was observed.
- Reviewing self-produced accounts led to more consistent performance.
Conclusions:
- Pretrial review of witness accounts can enhance memory recall and consistency.
- The type of account reviewed (self-produced vs. experimenter-prepared) influences performance.
- Findings have significant implications for improving pretrial witness preparation strategies.