Implications in Eyewitness Testimony
Eyewitness testimonies are an integral aspect in the criminal court system as judges and juries depend on them as evidence to determine a verdict. However, studies have shown that source amnesia can interfere with a witness’s memory because any incorrect post-event information encountered, results in distorted memories and source confusion. Post-event information can come from leading questions, statements made by the media or co-witnesses. Since improper encoding causes source amnesia, witnesses who are stressed or distracted during the event and fail to pay attention are susceptible to encoding wrong details into their memory, claiming to have seen things they only imagined. This causes grave legal implications given that it can result in wrongful convictions therefore, it is important that interrogation practices are carefully carried out.
Read more about this topic: Source Amnesia
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