Eyewitness Evidence and Memory

These flashcards cover essential concepts and details regarding eyewitness evidence, memory processes, and factors affecting eyewitness accuracy as discussed in the lecture notes.

What is the primary role of witness memory in legal cases?

Witnesses may provide the only form of evidence in some cases.

What three aspects must be understood to ensure accurate witness information?

The limitations of memory, how to preserve memory, and how to distinguish between reliable and unreliable recollections.

What are the two main processes involved in witness memory?

Encoding and Retrieval.

What is Recall in terms of eyewitness testimony?

Generating reports of information previously witnessed, with or without prompts.

What does Recognition involve in eyewitness memory?

Judging whether something currently presented has been seen before.

What is the Cognitive Interview designed to do?

Increase the amount of accurate information recalled from cooperative witnesses.

What are the principles of the Cognitive Interview?

Multiple Retrieval Paths Principle and Feature Overlap Principle.

What does the Multiple Retrieval Paths Principle suggest?

Different retrieval cues may lead to different details recalled.

What is the Feature Overlap Principle in memory recall?

Recall is improved when encoding and retrieval contexts are similar.

What is one component of the Cognitive Interview that improves recall?

Mental Context Reinstatement.

What does 'Report Everything' mean in the context of witness interviews?

Witnesses should report every detail, as no detail is too small.

How does changing the order of recalling an event help in memory recall?

It can trigger different associations and details that may have been overlooked.

What should interviewers do to build rapport with witnesses?

Be visibly attentive and not interrupt.

What is the Misinformation Effect?

When a witness incorporates inaccurate information presented after an event into their recollection.

What study is famously associated with the Misinformation Effect?

Loftus & Palmer (1974).

What is the 'Misinformation Acceptance' hypothesis?

Participants guess what they believe the experimenter wants.

What does the 'Source Misattribution' hypothesis explain?

Witnesses may recall multiple pieces of information but forget the source of each.

What is the purpose of the Showup procedure in eyewitness identification?

To identify the suspect under highly suggestive circumstances.

What is the difference between Simultaneous and Sequential Lineups?

Simultaneous lineups present all suspects at once, while sequential lineups present them one at a time.

What is a Relative Judgment in lineup procedures?

Choosing the lineup member that best matches memory relative to the others.

What is an Absolute Judgment in the context of lineups?

Choosing the lineup member if their match to memory exceeds a certain standard.

What is a Blank lineup used for?

To assess if eyewitnesses have a low response bias.

What factors can affect eyewitness confidence and memory accuracy?

Lighting, stress, intoxication, and retention interval.

What are system variables in eyewitness identification?

Factors that can be controlled and manipulated in the identification process.

What are reflector variables in eyewitness identification?

Observable behaviors during identification procedures that may indicate accuracy.

What are the nine recommendations by Wells et al. (2020) for improving eyewitness identification?

Include non-suggestive interviews, double-blind administration, and careful lineup selection.

According to the Manson test, what factors determine the reliability of eyewitness evidence?

Opportunity to view, level of attention, accuracy of prior description, degree of certainty, and delay before identification.

What is the Turnbull rule regarding eyewitness evidence in Canada?

It assesses the amount of time observed, distance, visibility, and knowledge of the offender.

What is the significance of the Ronald Cotton case in the context of eyewitness identification?

It highlights the potential for wrongful conviction due to eyewitness errors.

Why is the confidence statement obtained immediately after identification important?

It helps to assess the reliability of the eyewitness’s identification.