What is the primary difference between memory contamination and memory conformity?

Memory contamination involves the actual alteration of the internal memory trace due to new information. Memory conformity occurs when a witness reports false information to align with others, often for social reasons, while their internal memory may remain unchanged.

How does the 'Substitution Explanation' differ from the 'Response-Bias Explanation'?

The Substitution Explanation posits that misleading information replaces the original memory, making the original inaccessible. The Response-Bias Explanation suggests the original memory is still there, but the witness's answer is influenced by the wording of the question.

When comparing lab studies to real-life EWT, what is a major limitation regarding emotional impact?

Lab studies often use non-threatening videos, whereas real-life crimes involve high stress and anxiety. High emotional arousal can focus attention differently, potentially making real-life memories more or less resistant to misleading information than lab-based memories.

What is a common misconception about the permanence of human memory?

Many people believe memory is like a video recording that stays the same once stored. In reality, memory is reconstructive and can be significantly altered every time it is retrieved and combined with new information.

Why is it an error to assume that a witness who is very confident is also very accurate?

Research shows that confidence and accuracy are not always strongly correlated. Misleading information can actually increase a witness's confidence in a false memory, making them a very 'convincing' but incorrect witness.

What mistake do investigators make when they use the word 'the' instead of 'a' in questions?

Using 'the' (e.g., 'the broken glass') presupposes that the object existed, which can lead a witness to 'create' that object in their memory. This is a leading question that introduces non-existent details into the witness's account.

Define a 'Leading Question' in the context of EWT.

A leading question is one that, because of the way it is phrased, suggests a certain answer to the witness or implies a specific detail is true.

What is 'Post-Event Discussion' (PED)?

PED occurs when witnesses of an event discuss what they saw with each other, which can lead to their individual accounts becoming contaminated or merged into a single, potentially inaccurate story.

What is the 'Misinformation Effect'?

The Misinformation Effect is the tendency for post-event information to interfere with the memory of the original event, leading to inaccurate recall.

How does the 'Source Monitoring' theory explain memory distortion?

It suggests that people often remember information but forget where it came from. A witness might remember a detail from a news report but mistakenly believe they saw it themselves during the actual event.

Library Podcasts

Courses

Referral & Rewards

Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony: Misleading Information

Summary

Eyewitness testimony (EWT) is the evidence provided by people who witnessed a crime or event. Research indicates that EWT is highly susceptible to distortion from misleading information, which typically occurs through leading questions or post-event discussion. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for legal systems to evaluate the reliability of witness accounts and prevent wrongful convictions.

1. Definition & Core Concepts

Eyewitness Testimony (EWT) refers to the legal term for the account given by people of an event they have witnessed, often used in court to identify perpetrators or describe crime scenes.
Misleading Information is any data or 'hints' provided to a witness after an event that can alter their memory of that event. This information can be intentional, such as during police questioning, or unintentional, such as through media reports.
The Misinformation Effect occurs when a person's recall of episodic memories becomes less accurate because of post-event information. This suggests that human memory is not a static recording but a reconstructive process that can be updated or corrupted.

A flowchart showing the progression from an original event, through the introduction of misleading information, resulting in a distorted memory recall.

2. Leading Questions

A Leading Question is phrased in a way that suggests a specific answer or implies the existence of a detail that may not have been present. For example, using the word 'the' instead of 'a' (e.g., 'Did you see the broken glass?') implies that the glass definitely existed.
Research shows that the verb choice in a question can significantly influence a witness's estimation of speed or severity. Stronger verbs (like 'smashed' vs. 'hit') lead witnesses to report higher speeds and even 'remember' non-existent details like broken glass.
This effect demonstrates that language acts as a powerful cue that can trigger the retrieval of false information or alter the intensity of a stored memory.

3. Post-Event Discussion (PED)

4. Underlying Principles: Why Memory Changes

5. Key Distinctions

6. Exam Strategy & Tips