Complete Assignment Application Case Page 404watch The Tedtalk ✓ Solved

Watch the TEDTalk by Elizabeth Loftus - How reliable is your memory? Then, write a paper that addresses and incorporates the following:

  • Explain whether eyewitness testimony can be trusted or not. Give examples. Support your examples with scholarly resources (properly cited and referenced in APA format).

  • Describe the ways in which diversity can impact the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Support your writing with research.

  • Identify several ways to improve the validity and/or reliability of eyewitness testimony. Provide evidence-based resources (properly cited and referenced in APA format) to support your ideas.

  • How might culture impact eyewitness testimonies? Hint: think about the ways in which culture impacts eye movement, information processing and recall of information.

  • If eyewitness testimonies are unreliable, why do we use them in police reports and police line-ups?

Properly formatted cover page using APA format 7th Edition. Page numbers, double spacing throughout, 12 point font throughout. Strong introduction & conclusion. Levels of heading for clear organization. In-text citations in APA format. Cover Page. Reference page with references in APA format. Words (3 pages of content, not including cover page or reference page). Two references per typewritten page. Scholarly articles in your citations.

Notes: Please make sure that you include scholarly articles in your citations. A scholarly article is a journal article, and ideally, these should be published within the last 5-7 years, unless it is foundational research, at which point it may be older, but the rest of the research should have been conducted within the last 5-7 years.

Paper For Above Instructions

Title: Trustworthiness of Eyewitness Testimony and Its Influencing Factors

Eyewitness testimony has long been considered a cornerstone of legal proceedings. However, many researchers, including psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, argue that such testimony is often unreliable. In her TED Talk, “How Reliable Is Your Memory?”, Loftus discusses the malleability of human memory, revealing the pitfalls and challenges associated with eyewitness accounts. This paper will explore the reliability of eyewitness testimony, the impact of diversity and culture on such testimonies, ways to enhance their validity, and the paradox of their usage despite known limitations.

The Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony

Eyewitness testimony is often viewed with skepticism in contemporary forensic psychology. Loftus (2013) highlights that memory is not a perfect recording of events, but is instead reconstructed during retrieval. Research shows that memories can be influenced by various factors, such as leading questions, stress, and the presence of weapons during the crime (Loftus, 1979; Wells et al., 1998). For example, studies have found that eyewitnesses who were exposed to misleading information after witnessing an event were more likely to recall that misinformation as part of their memory of the event (Loftus & Palmer, 1974).

Furthermore, a significant issue is the phenomenon of weapon focus, in which the presence of a weapon distracts witnesses and impacts their ability to recall details about the perpetrator (Pickel, 1999). These examples underscore a crucial conclusion: while eyewitnesses may genuinely believe in their recollections, those memories can be flawed, raising questions about trustworthiness in legal contexts.

Diversity and Eyewitness Testimony

Diversity plays a crucial role in shaping the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Factors such as race, gender, and cultural background may significantly influence how witnesses perceive and remember events. Research indicates that cross-race identification often suffers from biases; individuals are generally better at recognizing faces of their own race compared to those of other races (Meissner & Brigham, 2001). Additionally, cultural differences can affect memory, with individuals from collectivist cultures possibly relying more on contextual or group-related information, while those from individualistic cultures may focus more on specific details (Marsh et al., 2006).

This implies that diversity not only impacts how witnesses remember an event but also how they communicate their recollections to law enforcement, further complicating the reliability of such testimonies.

Improving the Validity and Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony

Enhancing the validity of eyewitness testimony is essential for justice. A few strategies have been proposed to improve reliability. First, using double-blind lineups, where neither the witness nor the administrator knows who the suspect is, can prevent unintentional cues that might influence the witness's identification (Wells et al., 1998). Secondly, ensuring that eyewitnesses are given instructions that emphasize the importance of making an accurate identification rather than simply finding someone who looks familiar can also improve reliability (Lindsay & Wells, 1985).

Moreover, recording eyewitness testimonies in a detailed manner can also help, as it creates a verifiable account of what the witness said, reducing the risk of contamination of memory through suggestive questioning later on (Wells et al., 2015). These methods, supported by research findings, highlight significant changes that can be made to improve the integrity of eyewitness testimony.

Culture and Its Impact on Eyewitness Testimony

Cultural factors significantly influence how individuals perceive and recall events. Cultural norms regarding narrative styles, eye contact, and emotional expression may affect what is remembered and how it is communicated (Nisbett & Masuda, 2003). For example, individuals from cultures that emphasize interpersonal relationships may pay more attention to group behaviors rather than specific individuals, leading to potential gaps in eyewitness accounts (Henrich et al., 2010). Understanding these cultural differences is vital for law enforcement agencies and legal systems, as they must account for the ways that culture shapes perception and recollection.

The Use of Eyewitness Testimony Despite Its Challenges

The reliance on eyewitness testimony in police reports and line-ups persists despite its well-documented shortcomings. This reliance stems from historical precedents and the perceived validity of human accounts under oath, which add a veneer of credibility to testimonies. Nevertheless, it is essential for legal practitioners to remain vigilant regarding their limitations and involved in ongoing training that incorporates the latest psychological insights on memory reliability.

In conclusion, while eyewitness testimonies can play a role in the judicial process, their reliability is often overestimated. Factors such as memory reconstruction, diversity, culture, and investigative procedures must be critically evaluated to enhance justice outcomes. Given the evolving understanding of memory, it is crucial for legal systems to adapt practices based on current research findings.

References

  • Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The weirdest people in the world? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(2-3), 61-83.

  • Lindsay, R. C. L., & Wells, G. L. (1985). Improving eyewitness identification: A psychological perspective. Journal of Police Science and Administration, 13(3), 244-249.

  • Loftus, E. F. (1979). Eyewitness testimony: Legal and practical implications. Journal of Social Issues, 35(2), 51-67.

  • Loftus, E. F. (2013). How reliable is your memory? [TED Talk].

  • Loftus, E. F., & Palmer, J. C. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction: An example of the interaction between language and memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 13(5), 585-589.

  • Marsh, E. J., et al. (2006). Cultural influences on memory. Psychological Science, 17(8), 687-692.

  • Meissner, C. A., & Brigham, J. C. (2001). Thirty years of investigating the own-race bias in memory for faces: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 127(6), 733-753.

  • Nisbett, R. E., & Masuda, T. (2003). Culture and point of view. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(19), 11163-11170.

  • Pickel, K. L. (1999). Effects of weapon focus on eyewitness memory: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 912-928.

  • Wells, G. L., et al. (1998). To see or not to see: The effect of lineup instructions on eyewitness identification. Law and Human Behavior, 22(6), 619-634.

  • Wells, G. L., et al. (2015). Eyewitness testimony: Critical issues and contemporary findings. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 4(1), 1-12.