The Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony and Psychological Factors

These flashcards cover critical concepts related to the reliability and factors affecting eyewitness testimony.

Eyewitness Testimony

A legal term that refers to a person's recollection of an event they witnessed.

Reliability

The degree to which eyewitness testimony can be depended upon for accuracy.

Independent Recall

The ability of a witness to report on an event without any influence from others.

Memory Distortion

The alteration of memories, leading to inaccuracies in what subjects believe they saw.

Cognitive Psychology

The field of psychology that studies mental processes including memory, perception, and thinking.

Anxiety/Stress

Psychological states that can negatively affect the accuracy of eyewitness memory.

Reconstructive Memory

A theory that suggests that memory is not a perfect recorder but is influenced by various factors.

Weapon Focus Effect

The phenomenon where a witness's attention is drawn more to a weapon than to other details of a crime.

Leading Questions

Questions that suggest a particular answer or influence the response of a witness.

False Memory

A recollection that people believe to be true but is distorted or fabricated.

Emotion and Memory

The influencing relationship between emotional arousal and the accuracy of memory recall.

Schema Theory

The idea that all memories are influenced by pre-existing frameworks and biases.

Manipulative Questioning

The practice of leading an eyewitness to a specific answer during testimony.

Retroactive Memory Falsification

Mixing real memories of events with information gained from media or other sources.

Memory Consolidation

The process that stabilizes a memory after its initial acquisition.

Judicial Psychology

The intersection of psychological principles and legal processes.

Witness Corroboration

The use of multiple witness testimonies to confirm an account of an event.

Suggestion Effects

Changing the accuracy of memories based on suggestions or misleading information.

Eyewitness Misidentification

When a witness incorrectly identifies a suspect in a lineup.

Cognitive Load

The total amount of mental effort being used in working memory.

Social Influences

The effects of societal expectations and norms on a witness's statements.

Courtroom Dynamics

The interactions and environments of witnesses within the judicial process.

Performance Bias

The tendency for individuals' testimonies to be influenced by their expectations.

Perception Distortion

Changes in how a witness perceives events due to environmental factors.

Consistency in Testimony

The reliability of a witness' statements when recalling an event multiple times.