Eyewitness Research Paper
Eyewitness Testimony
Eyewitness testimony is defined as, “an area of research that investigates the accuracy of memory following an accident, crime, or other significant event, and the types of errors that are commonly made in such situations.” Much emphasis is placed on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony as often-inaccurate eyewitness testimony can have serious consequences leading to wrong convictions. Eyewitness testimony is a powerful tool within any field, particularly that of justice, as it is a readily accepted form of evidence that allows for convictions. However, tests conducted by Loftus have shown an enormous swing from a non-guilty verdict, to guilty within the same case, simply through the introduction of an eyewitness. This alone displays the importance of eyewitness testimony, and accentuates the theory that jurors tend to over believe, or at least rely heavily on such accounts. In this essay I shall discuss the work and research contributed by Bartlett, and Loftus as to whether accuracy plays a vital role in eyewitness testimony compared to other aspects of memory use.
Retrieval failure is an everyday experience for many of us. We also often experience problems with storing new information. This usually occurs because simply the person concerned is not paying attention. Perhaps more importantly memories can become scrambled, in the process of retrieval; as a result the scrambled memory is recalled-along with mistaken details instead of your original memory. In the case of eyewitness testimony, this may lead to wrongful convictions. The history of the United States justice system, like those of other countries is littered with wrongful convictions. For example, Rattner (1988) reviewed 205 cases of wrongful arrests and found that in 52 percent of cases, this was due to mistaken eyewitness testimony.
Huff recently estimated that about 7,500 people arrested for serious crime in the United States
Eyewitness testimony is defined as, “an area of research that investigates the accuracy of memory following an accident, crime, or other significant event, and the types of errors that are commonly made in such situations.” Much emphasis is placed on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony as often-inaccurate eyewitness testimony can have serious consequences leading to wrong convictions. Eyewitness testimony is a powerful tool within any field, particularly that of justice, as it is a readily accepted form of evidence that allows for convictions. However, tests conducted by Loftus have shown an enormous swing from a non-guilty verdict, to guilty within the same case, simply through the introduction of an eyewitness. This alone displays the importance of eyewitness testimony, and accentuates the theory that jurors tend to over believe, or at least rely heavily on such accounts. In this essay I shall discuss the work and research contributed by Bartlett, and Loftus as to whether accuracy plays a vital role in eyewitness testimony compared to other aspects of memory use.
Retrieval failure is an everyday experience for many of us. We also often experience problems with storing new information. This usually occurs because simply the person concerned is not paying attention. Perhaps more importantly memories can become scrambled, in the process of retrieval; as a result the scrambled memory is recalled-along with mistaken details instead of your original memory. In the case of eyewitness testimony, this may lead to wrongful convictions. The history of the United States justice system, like those of other countries is littered with wrongful convictions. For example, Rattner (1988) reviewed 205 cases of wrongful arrests and found that in 52 percent of cases, this was due to mistaken eyewitness testimony.
Huff recently estimated that about 7,500 people arrested for serious crime in the United States
References: Doyle, James M. "True Witness: Cops, Courts, Science ... - James M. Doyle." Google Books. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. <http://books.google.com/books?id=vFx43Hmm4nMC>. "Eyewitness: How Accurate Is Visual Memory? - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. CBS, 8 Mar. 2009. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/06/60minutes/main4848039.shtml>. Loftus, Elizabeth, and Katherine Ketcham. "FRONTLINE: How Can Eyewitness Indentification Go Wrong?" PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS, 1991. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dna/photos/eye/text_06.html>. Loftus, Elizabeth. "Elizabeth Loftus | What Jennifer Saw | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS, 2002. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dna/interviews/loftus.html>. Mcleod, Saul. "Eyewitness Testimony." Psychology Articles for A-level and Degree Study. 2009. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. <http://www.simplypsychology.org/eyewitness-testimony.html>.