Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the main finding regarding the weapon focus effect in laboratory studies?
What is the main finding regarding the weapon focus effect in laboratory studies?
What discrepancy is noted between laboratory studies and real crime witnesses regarding the weapon focus effect?
What discrepancy is noted between laboratory studies and real crime witnesses regarding the weapon focus effect?
According to Yuille et al., how have laboratory findings been treated in American courts?
According to Yuille et al., how have laboratory findings been treated in American courts?
What should psychologists providing expert evidence ensure according to the content?
What should psychologists providing expert evidence ensure according to the content?
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What is suggested about the influence of incongruous stimuli on witnesses in laboratory settings?
What is suggested about the influence of incongruous stimuli on witnesses in laboratory settings?
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What significant factor contributed to Cotton's exoneration in 1995?
What significant factor contributed to Cotton's exoneration in 1995?
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Which physical feature had the highest agreement in witness descriptions according to the study in the Netherlands?
Which physical feature had the highest agreement in witness descriptions according to the study in the Netherlands?
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What was the average number of characteristics mentioned by witnesses in the study?
What was the average number of characteristics mentioned by witnesses in the study?
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What effect did the length of time between the crime and the witness statement have on accuracy?
What effect did the length of time between the crime and the witness statement have on accuracy?
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Which of the following characteristics showed the lowest agreement in witness descriptions?
Which of the following characteristics showed the lowest agreement in witness descriptions?
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What did the study find regarding the correspondence between witnesses and police descriptions?
What did the study find regarding the correspondence between witnesses and police descriptions?
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What is one factor that predicted the accuracy of eyewitness statements?
What is one factor that predicted the accuracy of eyewitness statements?
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During which stage of memory formation do individuals focus on environmental details?
During which stage of memory formation do individuals focus on environmental details?
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What percentage of DNA exoneration cases involved eyewitness misidentification, according to the Innocence Project?
What percentage of DNA exoneration cases involved eyewitness misidentification, according to the Innocence Project?
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What is one way that eyewitness testimony can aid an investigation?
What is one way that eyewitness testimony can aid an investigation?
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What factor was crucial in Ronald Cotton's wrongful conviction?
What factor was crucial in Ronald Cotton's wrongful conviction?
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Which of the following statements about eyewitness memory is true?
Which of the following statements about eyewitness memory is true?
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What role does eyewitness testimony play in the criminal justice system?
What role does eyewitness testimony play in the criminal justice system?
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What was one of the results of Ronald Cotton’s trials?
What was one of the results of Ronald Cotton’s trials?
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What misconception about human memory is highlighted in the context of eyewitness testimony?
What misconception about human memory is highlighted in the context of eyewitness testimony?
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Which piece of evidence did NOT positively support Ronald Cotton's conviction?
Which piece of evidence did NOT positively support Ronald Cotton's conviction?
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What is the primary role of the encoding stage in memory?
What is the primary role of the encoding stage in memory?
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Which factor is categorized as an estimator variable in eyewitness testimony?
Which factor is categorized as an estimator variable in eyewitness testimony?
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What can affect the retrieval stage of memory?
What can affect the retrieval stage of memory?
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What does the constructive nature of memory imply?
What does the constructive nature of memory imply?
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Which of the following is NOT a system variable impacting eyewitness testimony?
Which of the following is NOT a system variable impacting eyewitness testimony?
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In which memory stage does information from short-term memory transition to long-term memory?
In which memory stage does information from short-term memory transition to long-term memory?
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What is an example of an internal factor affecting memory reconstruction?
What is an example of an internal factor affecting memory reconstruction?
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Which of the following statements about short-term memory is correct?
Which of the following statements about short-term memory is correct?
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What is one problem identified with line-ups that relates to the characteristics of the fillers?
What is one problem identified with line-ups that relates to the characteristics of the fillers?
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What does 'unconscious transference' refer to in the context of eyewitness identification?
What does 'unconscious transference' refer to in the context of eyewitness identification?
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What recommendation aims to reduce bias in line-up outcomes?
What recommendation aims to reduce bias in line-up outcomes?
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Which of the following recommendations is related to the witness's perception of the officer during the line-up?
Which of the following recommendations is related to the witness's perception of the officer during the line-up?
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What is a key feature to ensure in line-up procedures according to the recommendations?
What is a key feature to ensure in line-up procedures according to the recommendations?
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What is the significance of asking witnesses about their confidence in their choice at the time of the line-up?
What is the significance of asking witnesses about their confidence in their choice at the time of the line-up?
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What is meant by 'physical bias' in the context of identity parades?
What is meant by 'physical bias' in the context of identity parades?
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What is one negative consequence of not using a double-blind procedure in line-ups?
What is one negative consequence of not using a double-blind procedure in line-ups?
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What is a main critique concerning the application of eyewitness testimony findings in court?
What is a main critique concerning the application of eyewitness testimony findings in court?
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According to critiques, what is a significant limitation of most eyewitness testimony studies?
According to critiques, what is a significant limitation of most eyewitness testimony studies?
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What do Ebbesen and Konecni suggest about the translation of exposure length to eyewitness accuracy?
What do Ebbesen and Konecni suggest about the translation of exposure length to eyewitness accuracy?
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What issue do critiques highlight regarding expert testimonies in court?
What issue do critiques highlight regarding expert testimonies in court?
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What caution do psychologists need to exercise when applying research findings to individual cases?
What caution do psychologists need to exercise when applying research findings to individual cases?
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What do Ebbesen and Konecni imply about the conclusions drawn from eyewitness testimony?
What do Ebbesen and Konecni imply about the conclusions drawn from eyewitness testimony?
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Why is it challenging for psychologists to assess eyewitness accuracy in individual scenarios?
Why is it challenging for psychologists to assess eyewitness accuracy in individual scenarios?
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In the context of PTSD, what issue do psychologists face when attributing causes to individual cases?
In the context of PTSD, what issue do psychologists face when attributing causes to individual cases?
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Study Notes
CPS2822: Eyewitness Testimony - Week 4
- Course code: CPS2822
- Topic: Eyewitness testimony (EWT)
- Lecturer: Dr. Kalliopi Megari
- Department: Psychology
Outline
- Eyewitness testimony (EWT): Importance and issues
- The accuracy of EWT
- Memory stages and potential errors
- Later intrusions into eyewitness memory
- Improving the validity of line-ups
- Critiques of expert evidence at court
How does EWT help?
- EWT aids investigations by assisting in:
- Choosing the offense
- Selecting suspects and defendants
- Outlining required evidence points
- Planning and preparing suspect interviews
- EWT is crucial in the criminal justice system, often forming the basis of investigations.
Eyewitness testimony as a central issue
- Human memory is often perceived as infallible.
- The Innocence Project (2017) highlights the role of eyewitness misidentification in over 70% of proven DNA exonerated cases in the US.
- DNA exoneration refers to false convictions overturned through DNA testing.
- Serious miscarriages of justice are a consequence of flawed eyewitness testimony.
Ronald Cotton Case
- Two separate rapes occurred in July 1984.
- Ronald Cotton was arrested in August 1984.
- First trial (January 1985): Convicted of one rape and burglary.
- Second trial (November 1987): Convicted of both rapes and burglary.
- Sentence: Life plus 54 years in prison.
- A photo identification and police line-up identification were made by one victim.
- A flashlight from Cotton's home matched the description.
- Rubber from Cotton's shoe was consistent with rubber found at the crime scene.
- Cotton had an alibi confirmed by his family.
- Evidence of an inmate confessing to the crimes was not admissible.
- DNA testing in 1995 proved that semen did not match Cotton's DNA.
- Cotton was exonerated in 1995 after 10 years in prison.
The accuracy of witness evidence
- Very little research compares offender characteristics with witness descriptions.
- Evidence suggests witnesses are accurate in describing individual characteristics but not always consistently.
- Van Koppen and Lochun (1997) study in the Netherlands examined court records.
- The study involved 1300 witnesses and 2300 offenders, focusing on robberies of commercial buildings and dwellings.
- The majority of witness statements were obtained within two days of the crime.
- Correspondence between witness and police descriptions varied depending on the feature being described (e.g., sex, eye shape, hair color, face shape, race, height, ears).
- Witnesses typically mentioned only eight features out of a maximum of 43 possible characteristics.
- Variables that predicted eyewitness accuracy included longer statements, shorter distances between witness and offender, shorter crime duration, and witness positioning relative to the offender.
- Ironically, longer delays between crime and statement sometimes lead to more accurate descriptions.
- Descriptions of vague characteristics (e.g., offender's sex, race, height) are often accurate but insufficient for identification.
Memory stages
- Memory is a process involving stages: perception/attention, encoding, short-term memory, long-term memory, and retrieval.
- Perception/attention focuses on details in the environment.
- Encoding involves storing perceived information.
- Short-term memory has limited capacity, passing information into long-term memory.
- Long-term memory stores information for later access.
- Memory retrieval is the process of accessing information.
- Not all details are encoded or transferred to long-term memory; factors influence the process.
Problems at Retrieval
- Memory is constructive, reconstructing information from the event and other knowledge.
- Information received after the event can alter memory.
- Filling in the blanks is a common issue.
- Internal and external factors affect reconstruction.
Summary of factors that influence EWT
- Estimator variables (uncontrollable factors): Situational factors (physical conditions, type of crime, stress/arousal, duration of incident, delay effects), Witness factors (race, confidence, sex, age, intelligence, personality, extraneous information).
- System variables (controllable factors): Parade factors (composition, functional size, instructions, types of parades, mode of presentation, social dynamics).
Common myths about eyewitness testimony
- Myth 1: Memory is a videotape.
- Myth 2: Question wording doesn't influence the response.
- Myth 3: Stress enhances memory.
- Myth 4: Race of witness and perpetrator has no impact.
- Myth 5: Weapon focus doesn't affect memory.
Later intrusions into eyewitness memory
- New information influences recollections of events.
- Verbal information can affect visual memory.
- Interviewer techniques and leading questions may distort eyewitness memory.
- Loftus and Palmer (1974) experiment demonstrated how the wording of questions affected speed estimations.
Improving the validity of line-ups
- Identification evidence includes photospreads and line-ups.
- Simultaneous line-ups present all suspects at once.
- Sequential line-ups display suspects one at a time.
- Modern line-ups increasingly use video clips.
Problems with line-ups
- Inadequately matched fillers: foils or fillers don't match suspect descriptions.
- Physical bias (oddball): suspect's picture is noticeably dissimilar to others.
- No double-blind procedure: Line-up administrator knows the suspect's identity.
- Unconscious transference: Witness encounters suspect previously, but doesn't realize.
- Recommendations for improving line-up procedures: Wells, et al. (2020)
Critiques of expert evidence in court
- Expert psychologists may mislead courts regarding eyewitness reliability
- Many inconsistencies in eyewitness testimony research outcomes.
- Most research uses college student participants.
- Length of exposure to crimes varies significantly between lab and real-world situations.
- Issues with translating lab findings to real-world scenarios.
- Lack of mention to longer exposure issues in court testimonies.
- Psychologists should be aware of the limitations of research findings when presented in court.
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Description
Explore the intricacies of the weapon focus effect as revealed in laboratory studies compared to real-world crime witnessing. This quiz delves into the findings of Yuille et al. and emphasizes the importance of expert psychological evidence in legal contexts. Test your knowledge on key studies and factors influencing witness accuracy.