Question: Debate the reliability of eyewitness testimony in court from the perspective of what cognitive psychology tells us about the human memory system.
Answer: Eyewitness testimony is an area of cognitive psychology into which considerable research has been conducted, much of which suggests it is unreliable. The main concerns in relation to reliability relate to what is known about the human memory system. Specifically, research indicates that memory is selective, and that stress and high levels of arousal may impair the ability to encode and retrieve information (Clifford & Hollin, 1981; E. F. Loftus & Burns, 1982). There is also evidence to suggest that memory is constructive, and therefore our memory of specific events may be affected by prior knowledge and expectations (List, 1986; Brewer & Treyens, 1981)....(short extract)
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- Subject: Psychology
- Course: Perception and Cognition
- Level: Degree
- Year: 2nd/3rd
- Mark: 71%
- Words: 2244
- Date submitted: February 05, 2009
- Date written: Not available
- References: Yes
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 2936
