False Memory/ Eyewitness Research

Flashbulb Memories

Flashbulb Memories – Unusually vivid and detailed recollections of momentous events.Examples

What does actual research suggest about these recollections?

Repressed Memories

Very controversial issue, sensationalized by media

Numerous reports involving return of long lost memories of sexual abuse and other traumas during childhood

Example of an extreme case

Support for Repressed Memories

Many psychologists accept these memories at face value.

Believe that sexual abuse during childhood is more widespread than people believe

Natural for individuals to repress it

Skepticism for Repressed MemoriesSkeptics believe that suggestible people

wrestling with emotional issues can be convinced by persuasive therapists that their problems are result of repressed sexual abuse.Therapists operating under questionable

assumptionsHow do they attempt to get at these memories?

There have been several discredited cases of repressed memories of sexual abuseExample

Deese-Roediger Mcdermott (DRM) Paradigm

DRM Paradigm Demonstration

What was the importance of this study?

Misinformation EffectMisinformation Effect – Occurs when

participants’ recall of an event they witnessed is altered by introducing misleading postevent information

Famous Loftus “stop sign” studyParticipants viewed automobile accident slidesIn one slide, the car was seen stopped at yield signLater in a questionnaire, a question asked

participants “ Did the car stop at the stop sign?”What did results show?

Importance to legal system

Change BlindnessChange blindness- This phenomenon occurs

when individuals fail to notice large changes to a visual scene.Sample Clip

Simon and Levins Door studyAn actor was surreptitiously replaced in the middle

of a conversation with an unsuspecting individual.Sample ClipFindings

Issues for legal system

Own Race BiasOwn Race Bias- Tendency for individuals of one race to

have difficulty identifying members of a race other than their own.Relating to Eyewitnesses, eyewitnesses are more likely to

misidentify someone of another race as the perpetrator of a crime.

Typical Study:Participants of different races are exposed to simulated crime scenarios whereby the perpetrator is either of the same race or different race than they are. Following presentation of the simulated act, observers will be asked to choose the criminal they saw from a lineup. -Findings

Possible Explanations/Implications to legal world

Police Interrogation Interview Issues

McMartin Preschool Case

How did Police get children to say these things?Suggestive Questions

People, especially children, are suggestible and can be easily influenced by questions aiming to get something out of them

Positive and Negative ConsequencesPeople may be more likely to give false

statements, depending on consequences.

Other issues relating to eyewitnesses

Weapon Focus Effect- Eyewitnesses are found to be less accurate regarding details of a crime if a weapon is involvedWhy might this be so?

Source Monitoring Errors – Confusion over the source of memoriesExample