Eyewitness Memory for People and Events

Abstract

AbstractThe two primary aspects of eyewitness testimony, namely, memory for events and memory for people, are reviewed. The chapter utilizes a metaphor that likens eyewitness memory to trace evidence. Like other types of trace evidence (e.g., crime scene blood, fibers), a major concern exists regarding how the evidence is collected. Research on memory for events is reviewed with respect to misinformation effects, planting false childhood memories, the influence of imagination on memory reports, and other suggestive procedures. Research on memory for people is reviewed with respect to variables that affect identification accuracy (such as lineup structure) and the process governing lineup identifications (relative judgments). A classification scheme is introduced that partitions eyewitness identification variables into the categories of general impairment variables versus suspect‐bias variables and crosses this categorization scheme with other categorization schemes (e.g., system versus estimator variables, witness characteristics versus event characteristics). The general thesis of the chapter is that eyewitness memory evidence needs to be collected and preserved using scientifically grounded protocols rather than using the casual and often dangerous methods that too commonly mark practices in the justice system.