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2 results

  • 2.5 - Eyewitness testimony
  • from Part II - Assessments
  • Edited by Jennifer M. Brown, London School of Economics and Political Science, Elizabeth A. Campbell, University of Glasgow
  • Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Forensic Psychology
  • Published online: 06 July 2010
  • Print publication: 29 April 2010, pp 177-186
  • View extract

    Summary

    Eyewitness testimony refers to witness and victim recollections of what happened, the circumstances and description of the people involved in the incident, and the identification of the perpetrator(s). Accuracy of recall and identification are influenced by the amount of light available during the acquisition stage; however, many witnesses remain confident in their recollections. The most important individual difference variable is the age of the witness. Young children tend to recall fewer details of an event than do older children; however, older children are generally as accurate as adults in what they do recall. Perpetrators with more distinctive faces compared to foils are more likely to be recognized and produce fewer false recognitions. The goals of an identification test are to determine whether the witness can select the suspect as the perpetrator observed at the scene of the crime, and to test the validity of the witness's memory.