Deffenbacher and others published eyewitness testimony find, read and cite all the research you need on. Southern violence and northern testimony in frederick douglasss. These factors include characteristics of the witness, characteristics of the witnessed event, characteristics of testimony, lineup content, lineup instructions, and methods of testing. Hugo munsterbergs 1908 book on the witness stand, for instance, was an excellent attempt to use basic research in perception and memory to convince the courts that psychologists could better evaluate the validity.
The conventional wisdom, particularly among nonlawyers, is that circumstantial evidence is generally less reliable than eyewitness testimony. Pdf summarized a portion of the research on the factors that affect the reliability of eyewitness testimony acquiring information in memory. Eyewitness testimony can thus be critiqued on several grounds. Eyewitness testimony loftus 2019 applied cognitive psychology. Eyewitness testimony loftus 2019 applied cognitive. This recollection is used as evidence to show what happened from a witness point of view.
Surveys of jurors in criminal cases show that jurors. This thesis examines previous experiments concerning eyewitness testimony. Current knowledge and emergent controversies gary l. Jun 25, 2019 eyewitness testimony can thus be critiqued on several grounds. For this reason, much previous research has investigated the effects of. The testimony of a witness that he saw the accused commit or participate in the commission of the crime for which the accused is being tried shall be admissible in evidence in a criminal prosecution in any. Pros and cons of eyewitness testimony vision launch media.
In eyewitness testimony, elizabeth loftus makes the psychological case against the eyewitness. It usually refers to a victim or bystander who is describing what they observed during a specific event under investigation, such as a robbery, accident or murder. This includes identification of perpetrators, details of the crime scene etc. Eyewitness testimony is any account provided by an eyewitness, a statement made under oath sworn.
Summaries of 46 cases in which mistaken or perjured. Outline and evaluate research into the effects of anxiety on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. How reliable is eyewitness testimony given during court cases. One vitally important issue in psychology is memory. Over the last three decades, psychologists have made important discoveries, and. An example of the interaction between language and memory. Psychologists have probed the reliability of eyewitness testimony since the beginning of the 20th century. Eyewitnesses arent as reliable as you might think patrick semanskyap.
This chapter summarises those factors that have been shown to affect the detail, accuracy and quality of eyewitness testimony. A strong case, according to this view, includes the testimony of an eyewitness. Adams was sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer in dallas county, texas. One important application of research into memory is eyewitness testimony ewt. Journal of verbal learning and verbal behavior, 5, 585589 this is the classic cognitive psychology study which you will look at for your h167 as ocr psychology exam. The reliability of eye witness testimony criminology essay. The court ruled that the trial judge should determine whether the questioning of the witness by the police was unnecessarily suggestive, and if it was, was it nevertheless reliable. Ewt is used as evidence in criminal trials in countries all over the world. Number of cases in which eyewitness testimony is a problem. People do not always testify to ensure that justice is served. However, the reliability of eyewitness testimony has recently come into question with the work of organizations such as the innocence project, which works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. His main research focus is on eyewitness memory and identification, especially the determinants and predictors of both recognition and recall accuracy. If any of those characteristics can be demonstrated, then the competency of a witness is questionable. The criminal justice system heavily relies on eyewitnesses and eyewitness testimony.
The use of eye witness testimony is often a primary source of evidence used in the judicial system around the world. In light of these findings, judicial practices of excluding expert testimony on the reliability of eyewitness identifications should be reexamined. The influence of the wording of a question elizabeth f. We examined english and spanish speakers descriptions of intentional and accidental events, and. Eyewitness testimony is not a new concern of psychologists. Admissibility in evidence of eye witness testimony. Eye witness testimony refers to a description given by people of an incident they witnessed. The jury tends to believe and uphold the sworn statement of a credible eyewitness. Eyewitness testimony is used in a large number of cases and is responsible for many false convictions. The claim that eyewitness testimony is reliable and accurate is testable, and the research is clear that eyewitness identification is vulnerable to distortion without the witnesss awareness. Jul 20, 2012 eyewitness testimony can be problematic at trial robert siegel talks to elizabeth loftus, law professor at the university of california, irvine about how jurors can better evaluate the credibility. More specifically, the assumption that memory provides an accurate recording of experience, much like.
One prominent pioneer was hugo munsterberg, whose controversial book on the witness stand 1908 demonstrated the fallibility of eyewitness accounts, but met with fierce criticism, particularly in legal circles. Eerdmans, 2006 is a major contribution to new testament scholarship, a bomb thrown into the playground of. Mar 21, 2016 loftus and palmer 1974 eyewitness testimony description revision materials for loftus and palmers 1974 study into eyewitness testimony, which you will need for your ocr h167 and h567 psychology a level exams. Along the way, there were disagreements, which were typically healthy in nature. Factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness identification. Mar 11, 2019 eyewitness testimony can be complicated. Beginning with the basics of eyewitness fallibility, such as poor viewing conditions, brief exposure, and stress, loftus moves to more subtle factors, such as expectations, biases, and personal stereotypes, all of which can intervene to create. It heavily rests on the credibility of the witness. This article explains in detail some of the flaws behind eye witness testimony.
Discuss research into the effects of misleading information on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. Mar 09, 2009 lesley stahl reports on flaws in eyewitness testimony that are at the heart of the dna exonerations of falsely convicted people like ronald cotton, who has now forgiven his accuser, jennifer thompson. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. This description includes identifications of the attacker, details of the crime scene and so on mcleod, 2009. Summaries of 46 cases in which mistaken or perjured eyewitness testimony put innocent persons on death row adams, randall dale convicted 1977, exonerated 1989 mr. Mar 12, 2019 the study of eyewitness testimony is thriving. Psychological research and legal thought abstract most psychological studies of eyewitness testimony conducted during this century are aimed at discovering factors influencing the accuracy and completeness of an eyewitness account, with emphasis on those factors affecting the acquisition, retention, and retrieval of. When eyewitness testimony was added, 72% of jurors convicted him.
Eyewitness testimony refers to a description given by people of an incident they witnessed. This makes the jurys decision susceptible to subjectivity. A purported eyewitness, who in fact was the actual killer, framed mr. Crosslinguistic differences in eyewitness memory caitlin m. Over the last three decades, psychologists have made important discoveries, and applied those discoveries to the legal system in myriad ways. In lieu of an abstract, below is the articles first paragraph. But just how reliable are our eyes and how trustworthy is eyewitness testimony. In the united states, approximately 75,000 defendants are implicated by eyewitnesses annually department of justice, 1999. In a legal sense, eyewitness testimony refers to an individual giving an account of an event they witnessed. Pdf the criminal justice system relies heavily on eyewitness identification for investigating and prosecuting crimes. Attachment a summaries of 46 cases in which mistaken or perjured eyewitness testimony put innocent persons on death row adams, randall dale convicted 1977, exonerated 1989 mr. Southern violence and northern testimony in frederick douglasss 1845. Lesley stahl reports on flaws in eyewitness testimony that are at the heart of the dna exonerations of falsely convicted people like ronald cotton.
But recent scientific developments have cast doubt on the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Eyewitnesses arent as reliable as you might think the. Eyewitness testimony and memory biases by cara laney and elizabeth f. Eyewitness testimony can be problematic at trial robert siegel talks to elizabeth loftus, law professor at the university of california, irvine about how jurors can better evaluate the credibility. Eyewitness testimony is a powerful book that should be required reading for trial lawyers, social psychologists, and anyone who considers the chilling prospect of confronting an eyewitness accusation in a court of law. Jun 02, 2001 access article in pdf eyewitness to the cruelty. Reliability of eyewitness testimony chicago criminal. Discuss the use of the cognitive interview as a means of improving the. Eyewitnesses can provide very compelling legal testimony, but rather than recording experiences flawlessly, their memories are susceptible to a variety of errors and biases. Outline and evaluate research into the effects of leading questions on eyewitness testimony. The use of eyewitness testimony is often a primary source of evidence used in the judicial system around the world. There was a time when eyewitness testimony was considered the best evidence in a criminal case.
Problems in using eyewitness testimony law teacher. Overview eyewitness testimony plays an important role in proving the elements of a. The reliability of eyewitness testimony how jurors and judges evaluate scientific evidence extralegal factors in courtroom decision making emotion, race expert witness in eyewitness identification consultant with the arizona justice project teach courses. More specifically, the assumption that memory provides an accurate recording of experience, much like a video camera, is incorrect. Recent research on the reliability of eyewitness identification. It refers to an account given by people of an event they have witnessed. An examination of the causes and solutions to eyewitness error. The testimony of a witness that he saw the accused commit or participate in the commission of the crime for which the accused is being tried shall be admissible in evidence in a criminal prosecution in any trial court ordained and established under article iii of the constitution of the united states. May 16, 2001 the conventional wisdom, particularly among nonlawyers, is that circumstantial evidence is generally less reliable than eyewitness testimony. James deese 1972 concludes his book psychology as science and art by. Eye witness testimony can be unreliable for a plethora of reasons, not the least of which include ulterior motives on the part of the individual testifying. Discuss factors that affect the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Without eyewitness testimony, 18% of jurors convicted him.
People sometimes say that a case is only circumstantial to mean that the evidence is weak. Eyewitness testimony should be admissible in court, but it should be admitted with caution and with an understanding that there are certain factors such as weapon focus and compromised memories which can reduce the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Summary the study of eyewitness testimony is thriving. Distortions in memory can also occur from feedback provided to the witness after their testimony. The accuracy of eye witness testimony and its flaws. Turtle university of alberta abstract psychological research on eyewitness testimony has flourished over the last decade and there are. For many years, we have relied so much on our sight to validate our perception and understanding of the world around us. Pdf the psychology of eyewitness testimony researchgate. Abajos university of the basque country, san sebastia. Eye witness testimony is testimony given by an individual where she describes what they remember having perceived during a past event.
A flawed eye witness testimony can be damaging to the lives of many innocent people that end up spending years of their lives behind bars and even the death row. Hugo munsterbergs 1908 book on the witness stand, for instance, was an excellent attempt to use basic research in perception and mem. Psychologists have also studied what legal professionals and experts know about eyewitness testimony and memory. For example, consider the following eyewitness report from. Richard bauckhams jesus and the eyewitnesses summary and short critical reflection chris tilling 1. Loftus university of washington, seattle, washington 98195 and guido zanni new school for social research, new york, new york 10011 two experiments are reported in which subjects viewed a film of. Introduction without a doubt, richard bauckhams book, jesus and the eyewitnesses. For example they may be required to give a description at a trial of a robbery or a road accident someone has seen.