Factors influencing eye witness testimony

Factors influencing eye witness testimony

Understanding Eye Witness Testimony

• Relies heavily on the factors influencing the accuracy and reliability of human memory.
• Associated with the misinformation effect, where incorrect information obtained post-events can alter memories of the event.

Role of Stress and Anxiety

• Stress and anxiety at the time of the event can significantly impact the accuracy of the eye witness testimony.
• High levels of stress or anxiety can lead to a focus on the central details of the event, a phenomenon referred to as weapon focus.

Effects of Repeated Recall

• Repeated recall or reconstruction of the event can lead to distortion of the original memory.
• Each reconstruction runs the risk of incorporating associated, but incorrect, details into the memory.

Influence of Leading Questions

• Leading questions, or those that suggest a certain answer, can seriously impact the accuracy of an eye witness account.
• Phrasing and tone of the question can direct a witness’s recall in a specific direction.

Impact of Stereotypes and Prejudices

• Stereotypes, prejudices, and personal biases can all influence the subjectivity of an eyewitness testimony.
• The witness’s perception of the event can be influenced by previous experiences and pre-existing notions, causing misleading testimony.

Role of Confidence and Self-esteem

• A witness’s level of confidence or self-esteem can considerably affect their testimony.
• Over-confident witnesses may distort actual events while low self-esteem may result in the suppression of actual events.

Effect of Time Elapsed

• The longer the time between the event and recall, the more likely that the witness will experience memory decay.
• This reduction in the quality of the memory makes it increasingly susceptible to distortion and misinformation.