2.4.1 Key Q- Is EWT reliable?

Question 1

What is the key question?

Answer 1

Is eye witness testimony (EWT) reliable?

Question 2

What is EWT?

Answer 2

A recollection of a specific event or crime given by an eye witness based off of their own memory

Question 3

Why is this issue important?

Answer 3

• If EWT is unreliable then innocent people can be convicted wrongfully
• Innocence Project (2015)- identified 72% of wrongful convictions due to unreliable EWT
• EWT is very influencial for jurors, so Devlin Reports (1976) suggested that EWT shouldnt be used as evidence in the absence of forensic evidence
• Case of Ronald Cotton- co nvicted of rape wrongfully by Jennifer Thomas-Cannino, convcited for 10 years

Question 4

Why is memory innacurate?

Answer 4

• People tend to interpret what they see in terms of what they expect to happen and their memories are often innacurate and distorted due to a number of factors

1.Reconstructive mem
> Bartlett (1932)
Proposed:During retrieval mem isnt an exact replica of og event, but reconstructed by brain imaginatively
Problem for EWTs: Suggests me recall of EWTs wont be an exact
replica of specific event/ crime they witnessed, the EW may misremeber the time/ day/ description of offender, can lead to wrongful conviction
A03-

2.Schemas
> Cognitive framework that organises + interprets info- meory is grouped into these schemas
Problem for EWTs: EW could assimilate/ accomodate their schemas to answer leading Q asked by police, may not produce responses that recall event/crime accurately.

Question 5

What does the MSM suggest about the importance of rehearsal? How could this affect EWT?

Answer 5

• Suggests maintenance rehearsal needed to consolidate mem in LTM store, rehearsal allows retrieval of mem from LTM -> STM asw. Suggests mem= linear and info can decay if not rehearsed.
  » For EWTs: If EWs havent rehearsed info of the crime witnessed for their interview, the n they may forget the key information needed to identify the correct perpretrator, can lead to wrongful conviction/ unreliable EWT

Question 6

What does Tulving’s Episodic & Semantic suggest?

Answer 6

• Suggested LTM is split into episodic & semantic mem; with episodic being mems of ‘episodes’ and personal experiences in our lives, and semantic being our mem of general knowledge. Moreover, Tulving suggests retrieval cues (envir + emotion) are during episodic mem formation bc its context dependant.
  »For EWTs: In cog interviews, info recalled from witness about crime is episodic mem. Officers often ask Q’srelating to context eg sounds, smells relating to crime to prompt memory of crime. However, the problem is that more memories may be produced by EWs, but retrieval cues via q’s may lead to misleading EWs and so info may be innacurate/ unreliable EWT.

Question 7

What does WMM suggest for EWT?

Answer 7

> > Witnesses can’t use same memory store for multiple events in the moment of the crime. But central executive will block out less important info, making EWTs more reliable as there may be more focus on the main info eg perpetrator.

Question 8

Explain how we can make EWT more reliable

Answer 8

Cognitive Interviews & training police officers
> Teaching police officers to acknowledge stress levels of EWs, avoid leading q’s, and avoid post event info

Question 9

AO3
4 points

Answer 9

1. P- Bartlett (1932) has low validity
   E- Study was lab exp, and task and setting of recalling a story in an unfamiliar language was artificial.
   E- W, wouldn’t translate over well to EWT as EWs are recalling episodic memories from what they witness in real life ie real crime.
2. Loftus and Palmer (1974) rejects
   E- Describe study results suggest when given retrieval cues, our episodic mem is affected and confabulates to fit out schemas, following suggestion from the retrival cue.
   E- W, suggests retrieval cues can mislead/manipulate EWs og memories, leads to unreliable EWT.
3. L&P (1974) has low external validity
   E-Lab exp, ppts recalled artificial task ofwatching 5-30 sec compiled car vids
   E- W, ppts were aware they were in a study w no legal consequece, therefore may’ve taken study less seriously compared to EWTs which have legal consequences, so may prompt more accurate mem recall.