Eyewitness testimony

Eyewitness testimony

1. Misinformation

   • The memories laid down at the time seem to be quite fragile and subject to distortion
   • Leading questions can often expose subjects to altered memories
   • Loftus (1975)~ Showed participants a film of events leading up to a car crash. After watching participants were divide into a control group, and an experimental group. Control group asked normal questions, experimental group asked leading questions.
     • ‘Smashed’ - 41mph ‘hit’ - 34mph ‘contacted’ – 32mph

2. Age

   • In some court cases, often sensitive cases young children are the only witnesses
   • Children have been found to be more willing than adults to make a positive identification but they often have the wrong person (Dekle et al, 1996)
     • Pozzulo and Lindsay (1998) carried out a meta analysis of identification parade studies, comparing the results of different age groups.  The three main findings were as follows: 1. Children below the age of five were least likely to make correct identifications when the culprit was present in the line-up. 2.  Children over five were just as likely as adults to identify the culprit when they were present. 3.  Children up to the age of thirteen were more likely than adults to make an identification when the culprit was NOT present in the line-up.
   • Poole and Lindsay (2001) got children of varying ages to watch a science demonstration following which they listened to a story which contained some of the science material but also some new information.  Later when they were questioned about the science demonstration it was found that they threw in some of the story as well.
   • Flin et al (1992) staged an incident and questioned children and adults about it a day later and five months later.  Both groups performed equally well the following day but after five months the children’s group had forgotten significantly more - the EWT of children becomes less reliable over time.

3. Anxiety

   • Deffenbacher et al (2004) carried out two meta analyses comparing the effects of anxiety on facial recognition and details at the scene of the crime.  In both cases high levels of anxiety were shown to significantly reduce accuracy of recall.
   • Christianson and Hubinette (1993) questioned 110 witnesses to 22 real bank robberies those who had been threatened during the raids had a more accurate recall of events.