Eyewitness Testimony

Eyewitness Testimony

1. this is the evidence of those recalling an event they witnessed

   • there's been cases where the verdict has been wrongly convicted due to false EWT

2. schema

   • a readiness to interpret sensory info in a pre set manner based on previous experiences, moods and knowledge
   • fills in the gaps
   • affects reliability of ETW bc they're just reconstructing what they can remember through schemas
     • can lead to false memories
   • paris in the the spring
     • mostly read as paris in the spring

3. leading questions lead to false info

   • "did you see a broken headlight?"
     • not leading
   • "did you see the broken headlight?"

4. misleading info creates more false memories

5. post-event discussion

   • where people discuss what they saw which can influence how another person remembered it originally

6. anxiety

   • more traumatic events can cause more anxiety which affects recall
   • can cause them to look at the weapon not the criminal

7. improving the accuracy of EWT

   • the cognitive interview
     • change the narrative, tells story from end to beginning
     • change of perspective, from another person's POV
       • another retrieval pathway
     • best if conducted right after event
   • include environmental and emotional factors