1. Do Now What are some factors that you think could influence eyewitness testimony?

2. What is EWT? How does it relate to memory? How accurate do you think it is?

3. What is Eye Witness Testimony? Eye Witness Testimony is the evidence given in court, or in police investigations by someone who has witnessed a crime or an accident

4. You become the eye witness...

5. Can you help the police with the following questions? 1.Did the woman call for help before or after she handed out the money? 2.Did the getaway car turn left or right? 3.What was covering the faces of the robbers? 4.Who else was in the shop? 5.What were the robbers wearing? 6.About what age and build were the robbers? 7.Can you recall anything else about them that would help the police – Hair colour? Accent? 8.What did they use as weapons?

6. Eye Witness Testimony is probably the most valuable application of memory, to our everyday life “Juries and police place great reliance on EWT” Kebbel & Milne (1998) However, there’s lots of research evidence to suggest that faith in accuracy in EWT is misplaced.

7. Fruzzetti et al (1992): 1000’s of people probably wrongly convicted every year on the basis of inaccurate EWT. Wells et al (1998): reported on 40 cases in USA where individuals convicted on the basis of EWT, have since been cleared using DNA evidence. 5 of these wrongly convicted individuals had been sentenced to DEATH, and were awaiting execution!!!

8. Elizabeth Loftus One of the most important researchers in the field, and (with colleagues) has worked on EWT for over 30 years. Her research confirms that EWT is not always accurate, and is vulnerable to many different types of influence.

9. Elizabeth Loftus One of the most important researchers in the field, and (with colleagues) has worked on EWT for over 30 years. Her research confirms that EWT is not always accurate, and is vulnerable to many different types of influence.

10. Video Clips! http://youtu.be/DZ_O EHuA2uw

11. Effects of misleading info… One of the main factors affecting accuracy of memory for an event, seems to be what happens AFTER the event has taken place. Memories laid down at the time seem quite fragile, and subject to distortion by post- event info. Misinformation can introduce serious errors into Eye Witness recall of the event.

12. Loftus (1992): ‘MISINFORMATION ACCEPTANCE’ People accept misleading info after an event and absorb it into their memory for the actual event… …there is a greater tendency to accept post-event info in this way, as the time since the event increases This means that there are important implications for the ways in which police and lawyers question individuals in criminal investigations.

13. Loftus used experimental technique where pp shown film of an event, such as a road accident. Pp then exposed to some kind of post-event info. Pp then tested for memory of original event.

14. Leading Questions most common post-event info a question phrased in such a way as to prompt a particular kind of answer: - was the man wearing a hat? - what colour was the man’s hat? Suggests the man was actually wearing a hat!! False info given to a witness after the event can serve to change the original memory by removing some elements and inserting others.

15. Q. Write a definition of EWT Evidence given in court, or in police investigations by someone who has witnessed a crime or an accident

16. Q. What is a misleading question? Give an example most common post-event info a question phrased in such a way as to prompt a particular kind of answer: - was the man wearing a hat?

17. Q. In Loftus and Palmer’s study (1974), what was the difference between responses of PPTs to how fast were cars going when they hit, smashed, bumped etc...

18. People accept misleading info after an event and absorb it into their memory for the actual event… Q. What did Loftus (1992) call this effect? Misinformation effect