Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 1 x All rights Reserved South-Western / Cengage Learning © 2012, 2009

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 2 Chapter 1 Observation Skills By the end of this chapter you will be able to: o Define observation and describe what changes occur in the brain o Describe examples of factors influencing eyewitness accounts of events o Compare the reliability of eyewitness testimony with what actually happened

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 3 Chapter 1 Observation Skills By the end of this chapter you will be able to: o Relate observation skills to their use in forensic science o Define forensic science o Practice and improve your observation skills

Forensic Science o The application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police in a criminal justice system. o Also called criminalistics

Forensic Scientist o Analysis of evidence found at the crime scene o Expert witness in court o Performs scientific research o Trains others in the field

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 6 Introduction The forensic examiner must be able to 1. find—identify the evidence 2. document—record the evidence 3. interpret—accurately determine the significance of the evidence

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 7 What Is Observation? Our brains can filter out information. Point out some of the details in this photo.

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 8 What Is Observation? How information is processed in the brain

Can you read this? o O lny srmat poelpe can raed tihs. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, t he olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rgh it pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !! " Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 9

10 What Is Observation? Our brains fill in gaps in our perception o In order to make sense of what we perceive, our brains often enrich with detail what we see, taste, hear, smell, or feel o After an event, we can believe things were part of the background even though they were not

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 11 What Is Observation? Our brains apply previous knowledge to new situations What assumptions can you make about this scene? How might those assumptions be wrong?

Test your Observation skills o Seeing is Believing Power point – Activity o CSI Web Adventures Observation Activities CSI Web Adventures Observation Activities o Activity 1-1: Observational Skills What do you see? “You’re an Eyewitness” ppt “Perception is Reality” ppt Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 12

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 13 Observations by Witnesses Observations are affected by: o Their emotional states o Whether they were alone, part of a group, or near others o What type of and how much activity was going on around them

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 14 Eyewitness Accounts o Crime-scene reports often vary, due to: level of interest stress concentration amount and kind of distractions present prejudices personal beliefs motives any lapse in time since the event

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 15 The Innocence Project o Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, o Beginning in 1992, used DNA to examine post-conviction cases o Faulty eyewitness identifications accounted for up to 87% of the wrongful convictions

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 16 How to be a Good Observer Observe systematically o Start at one part of a crime scene and run your eyes slowly over every space o Look carefully at details of each piece of evidence o Do not assume you will remember everything

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 17 How to be a Good Observer Turn off filters o Consciously pay attention to all details o Do not pay attention to just what you think is important o All details are potentially important

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 18 How to be a Good Observer Collect Information first, interpret data later o Look for patterns and make connections o More information yields better interpretations o Prejudices exist everywhere— eyewitness accounts your own thinking processes

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 19 How to be a Good Observer Documentation, Documentation, Documentation o Write down and photograph as much information as possible o Be aware that memory is faulty o Remember that our brains tend to fill in gaps in our perceptions

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 1 20 Observations in Forensics o Study situations o Find clues in ordinary details o Work backwards from the evidence to what led up to the crime o Be patient o Practice

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter Summary.... o The environment and our natural sensory filters affect our ability to observe o Eyewitness reports can be correct, faulty, or a little of both o Acquiring good observation skills takes practice and training

Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter Summary o Forensic scientists: Find and Document Evidence Evaluate and Interpret (Analyze evidence found at the crime scene) Provide expert testimony to courts Performs scientific research Trains others in the field