Exam 2 7.2: Eyewitness Testimony and Memory Biases

Cross-Race Effect

memory error in which outgroup members are mistaken for one another due to an underdeveloped ability to differentiate outgroup characteristics

Elizabeth Loftus

professor at UCI, published widely in the area of human memory, and has been honored for her research with six honorary doctorates and election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

Eyewitness Testimony

when person witnesses a crime and later gets up on stand and recalls for the court all the details of the witnessed event

False Memories

memory for an event that never actually occurred; implanted by experimental manipulation or other means

identify perpetrators = Foils / Fillers

any member of a lineup (live or photograph) other than the suspect

Photo Spreads

a selection of monrally small photographs of faces given to a witness for the purpose of identifying a perpetrator

Memory Biases

cognitive distortions that alter the content or recall of memories based on emotions, current beliefs, and social pressure

Misinformation Effect

a memory error caused by exposure to incorrect information between the original event and later memory test

What are some mistakes that eyewitnesses commonly make?

1. Misinformation in the leading question led to inaccurate memory - misinformation effect

2. Memory can be contaminated by wrong information people are exposed to after they witness an event

3. Misinformation can corrupt memory more easily when encountered in social situations - happens mainly when there’s multiple witnesses who share their perspectives with one another

How does eyewitness testimony impact the criminal justice system?Often asked to identify perpetrators 

1. Often asked to identify perpetrators 

2. If the eyewitness identifies the suspect, then the investigation of that suspect is likely to progress. If a witness identifies a foil or no one, then the police may choose to move their investigation in another direction

What are some common errors in human memory?

1. Small memory errors such as forgetting where you set the keys 

2. Memory biases such as how our expectations and beliefs shape our memories 

3. False memories

How have psychologists studied human memory errors?

1. Studying false memories by manipulating pictures through photoshop to get people to think they experienced it 

2. False feedback manipulation: used a technique of Reporting that a computer had analyzed their responses to questionnaires and had concluded that these experiences had occurred to make people think that the false event occurred 

How does racial exposure lead to memory errors in distinguishing between members of a racial outgroup?

1. Cross-race effect: memory error which outgroup members are mistaken for one another due to underdeveloped ability to differentiate between outgroups 

2. Infants with early exposure to diverse faces show reduced or no difficulty differentiating outgroup members later in life