When Eyewitnesses Talk

When two people witness an event, they often discuss it. Because memory is not perfect, sometimes this discussion includes errors. One person's errors can become part of another person's account, and this proliferation of error can lead to miscarriages of justice. In this article, we descr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current directions in psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society 2009-06, Vol.18 (3), p.174-178
Main Authors: Wright, Daniel B., Memon, Amina, Skagerberg, Elin M., Gabbert, Fiona
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bombings
Cognition & reasoning
Conformity
Errors
Eyewitness testimony
False memory
Memory
Misinformation
Normativity
Police
Police lineups
Social psychology
Truck rentals
Witnesses
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Summary:When two people witness an event, they often discuss it. Because memory is not perfect, sometimes this discussion includes errors. One person's errors can become part of another person's account, and this proliferation of error can lead to miscarriages of justice. In this article, we describe the social and cognitive processes involved. Research shows how people combine information about their own memory with other people's memories based on factors such as confidence, perceived expertise, and the social cost of disagreeing with other people. We describe the implications of this research for eyewitness testimony.
ISSN:0963-7214
1467-8721
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01631.x