Investigating Research Analyses And Implications Of False...

Investigating Research Analyses and Implications of False Memories for Eyewitness Testimony Emily Jane McVey Humboldt State University Abstract Eyewitness testimony is one of the leading pieces of evidence used to prosecute court cases. However, the human mind is vulnerable to numerous sources that can influence memory including interviewing dynamics (i.e. role understanding), vulnerability to misinformation effects, and repeated recall. Given the susceptibility of memory to these forces, eyewitness testimony is not as†¦show more content†¦Eyewitnesses are considered to have prime information due to their having witnessed the crime firsthand. Therefore many individuals conclude that eyewitnesses encode, or record like a camera,that specific event into their memories for later reporting (Douglass et al., 2004) However, contrary to initial thought, the human memory is highly fallible and does not necessarily preserve events as they occur into our long term memory (Oeberst Blank, 2012). There are numerous factors that may contribute to the development and retrieval of false memories (Oeberst Blank, 2012). These facto rs include: interviewing dynamics, comparing one’s recall of event with peers, age of the witness, time lapses between events and questioning, and misleading information (i.e. the misinformation effect) (Bruer Pozzulo, 2014; Chan LaPaglia, 2011; Douglass et al., 2013; Frenda, Nichols, Loftus, 2011; Oeberst Blank, 2012; Wilford, Chan, Tuhn, 2014). It is clear that in order to bolster the credibility of eyewitness identification, reforms are essential in order to preserve the accuracy of these witness’ memories. Some reforms have already been proposed like the cognitive interview (CI) (Frenda et al., 2011). However, as Clark (2012) asserts, suggesting reforms to the eyewitness institution in the court of law requires solid evidence in order to scientifically support provide these recommendations. Our search to find eradication for false memories may never