PSYC 3020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Theoretical Plate, Innocence Project, Critical Role
12 Mar 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Given at trial when no other corroborating evidence can lead to the conviction of an accused person. Next to an actual confession is the most incriminating evidence against a defendant. When reports are correct properly contribute to the conviction and appropriate punishment. False identifications from lineups and photospreads are responsible for more convictions of innocent people than all causes combined. Innocence project (nov 2014) eyewitness misidentification played a role in 72% of convictions overturned through dna testing. Witnesses construct and reconstruct memories based in part on what they selectively perceived at the time of the incident and partly on the expectations, beliefs and pre-existing knowledge. Eyewitness memory explained can be explained in 3 theoretical stages. Observation/acquisition - information is perceived and encoded as memorial representations. Retrieval - individual recalls and/or recognizes stored information. Information can"t be accurately retrieved if it was not perceived. Information can be forgotten, altered, or supplemented by factors that occur during the retention and retrieval stages.
