1. Chapter 10 Eyewitness Testimony Talbot Kellogg Community College
Criminal Psychology
Chapter 10
Eyewitness Testimony
Talbot
Kellogg Community College

2. The Importance of Eyewitnesses
What makes it important?
What makes a good witness?
Race
Gender
Age
Availability to testify
Ability to testify
Witnesses’ assertion of good memory

3. Problems in Eyewitness Testimony (Visual Memory)
Memory Consolidation
Priming
Constructive Processing
Misinformation Effect
Redintegration

4. The role of the Psychologist
Applied Researcher/ Expert witness
System variables –
Estimator variables –
Trainer/ Educator to the Criminal Justice System
Police Consultant

5. Problematic Procedures
5 Problems.

6. Questioning Witnesses (Information Generation)
Problems
The Goals of Law-enforcement.

7. How to Improve Memory

8. Use of Lineups/ Photo arrays
Suspect identification
Identity Parade
Photo Spread
Benefits of Identity Parade
Benefits of the Photo Spread

9. Common Errors

10. Proper Procedural Rules
Double - _________
Witnesses should be told that it is possible that the true perpetrator may ___________ and that the officer ___________ who the suspect might be.
The suspect should not ______________.
A clear statement should be taken from the ___________ at the time of the identification.
Provide views of different suspects __________rather than _____________.

11. Expert Witness – What is reliable enough to testify about?
Box 10-4

12. Steps in the evaluative process
FBI’s Facial Identification Catalogue
Identikit
Holistic Process –