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Page 1: © Boardworks Ltd 20151 of 9 Eyewitness testimony

© Boardworks Ltd 20151 of 9

Eyewitness testimony

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Learning objectives

By the end of this section students will be able to:

Identify factors affecting eyewitness testimony

Outline research into eyewitness testimony

Identify and explain key features of the cognitive interview technique

Icons key: For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation

Teacher’s notes (in Notes Page) Accompanying worksheetFlash activity (not editable)

Extension activity Sound VideoWeb links

Learning objectives

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Eyewitness testimony

Eyewitness testimony (EWT) is evidence given by someone who has seen an incident or a crime.

Research in this area has shown that memory is subject to distortions and inaccuracies. Researchers have therefore focused on identifying factors that are

associated with the reliability of EWT.

This is an important area of memory research because inaccurate eyewitness testimonies can lead to wrongful convictions. Wells et al (1998) cited 40 cases in America of people who were wrongly convicted of crimes on the basis of EWTs. They were later cleared using DNA evidence. Five out of the 40 had even been on death row for crimes they had not committed.

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Reconstructive memory

According to Bartlett (1932), when we store information we do not store an exact replica of what we were presented with, rather we store the general idea. When we recall the information, we engage in a process of reconstructing the information to fit in with our own past experiences.

Do you remember things exactly as they happened?

We store memories in terms of our schemas. Schemas

are mental frameworks (based on past experiences)

within which we organize incoming information.

Our schemas therefore help us to reconstruct the memory, and it is in this process that inaccuracies lie. Schemas are useful in enabling us to predict our world, but they can lead to distortions in memory.

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Factors affecting the accuracy of EWT

Researchers have identified several factors which affect the accuracy of EWT:

In small groups, see if you can think of any factors which might affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies.

When you have finished, feedback to the rest of the class. Did you come up with the same ideas?

anxiety

weapon focus

age of the witness

misleading post-event information.

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Anxiety and EWT

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Weapon focus and EWT

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Age of the witness and EWT

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