Block 4 (Part 2) Flashcards
(20 cards)
Misinformation Effect
a memory error caused by exposure to incorrect information between the original event (e.g. a crime) and later memory test (e.g. an interview, lineup, or day in court)
Photo Spreads
a selection of normally small photographs of face given to a witness for the purpose of identifying a perpetrator
Foils
any member of a lineup (whether live or photograph) other than the suspect
Mock Witnesses
a research subject who plays the part of a witness in a study
Schema
a memory template, created through repeated exposure to a particular class of objects or events
False Memories
memory for an event that never actually occurred, implanted by experimental manipulation or other means
What are three conclusions about eyewitness testimonies?
eyewitnesses are imperfect
certain personal and situational factors systematically influence eyewitnesses performance
judges, juries, and lawyers are not well informed about these factors
What is acquisition of memory?
refers to the witnesses perceptions at the time of the event in question
What factors influence acquisition of memory?
emotional state: trigger high levels of stress, arousal makes people zoom in on central details, but impairs memory on less central details, alcohol has an effect too
weapon-focus effect: people focus on the weapon more than the person
cross-race identification bias: find it hard to recognize faces of a race other than their own
What is storage of memory?
refers to getting the information into memory to avoid forgetting
memory for faces and events tend to decline over time
not all memories fade over time
however the “purity” of the memory can be influenced by post-event information
What is the misinformation effect?
the tendency for false post-event information to become integrated into people’s memory of an event
Who was Margaret Kelly Michaels?
convicted of over 100 counts of rape at a preschool
some striking similarities between the children’s accounts
the social workers often prompted the children with leading questions
there was no physical evidence, so she ended up being released
Who was Sam Stone?
children saw that Sam Stone didn’t destroy a book
but were then asked leading questions
when a new person asked what happened 74% of the children blamed Sam Stone for the damage and 43% claimed to have seen him do it
What is facial reconstruction?
got four witnesses to create a reconstruction of a target face
they then morphed all the faces into one face
new participants rated the similarity of all the sketches to the target face
on average, the morphs were rated as more similar to the target
What are the effects of lineup and instructions on false identifications?
after witnessing a crime, participants were told either that the culprit was in the lineup (biased instruction) or that he might or might not be present (unbiased instruction)
participants then viewed a lineup in which the real culprit was present or absent
those who received the biased instruction were more likely to make a false identification, picking an innocent person rather than no one at all, especially when the real culprit was not in the lineup
What is retrieval of memory?
refers to pulling information out of storage when needed
What factors affect identification performance?
facial reconstruction: the process may confuse witnesses
lineup construction: should contain 4 to 8 “foils” who match the witnesses description
lineup instructions to the witness: when given biased instructions they are more likely to make false accusations
familiarity-induced bias: often remember a face but not the context in which they saw it
What are the biasing effects of post-identification feedback?
witnesses who are repeatedly questioned more confident over time but not more accurate
eye witnesses who get positive feedback about their false accusation went on to reconstruct other aspects of their story
What is the courtroom testimony of eyewitnesses?
eyewitness testimony in court is persuasive and not easy to evaluate
Why do jurors often overestimate the accuracy of eyewitnesses?
lack knowledge about human memory
base judgements largely on witnesses confidence
