Cognitive psychology shows us that eyewitness testimony can be very unreliable. This means that what people remember about an event isn’t always true. Here are some main problems with memory:
Memory Changes: Sometimes, questions that suggest certain answers can change what a witness remembers. This can lead to mistakes in recalling details.
Stress and Worry: When people are in stressful situations, it can make it hard for them to remember things correctly. This can make their testimony less reliable.
Confidence vs. Truth: People often feel very sure about their memories, even when they are wrong. This can make their memories seem more trustworthy than they really are.
Even though there are these challenges, we can find ways to improve eyewitness testimonies.
Using standard interviewing methods can help.
Also, using what we know from psychological research can make memories more accurate.
Training police and lawyers about how memory works can help them avoid trusting bad testimonies.
In short, understanding how memory works can help us get better information from witnesses.
Cognitive psychology shows us that eyewitness testimony can be very unreliable. This means that what people remember about an event isn’t always true. Here are some main problems with memory:
Memory Changes: Sometimes, questions that suggest certain answers can change what a witness remembers. This can lead to mistakes in recalling details.
Stress and Worry: When people are in stressful situations, it can make it hard for them to remember things correctly. This can make their testimony less reliable.
Confidence vs. Truth: People often feel very sure about their memories, even when they are wrong. This can make their memories seem more trustworthy than they really are.
Even though there are these challenges, we can find ways to improve eyewitness testimonies.
Using standard interviewing methods can help.
Also, using what we know from psychological research can make memories more accurate.
Training police and lawyers about how memory works can help them avoid trusting bad testimonies.
In short, understanding how memory works can help us get better information from witnesses.