2 TED Talks to help us understand our observations Eyewitnesses & Memory 2 TED Talks to help us understand our observations

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Scott Fraser - Forensic psychologist, expert witness When it comes to witnesses in criminal trials, the accuracy of human memory can mean the difference between life and death. Scott Fraser is an expert witness who researches what’s real and what’s selective when it comes to human memory and crime. Areas of expertise: human night vision neuropsychopharmacology the effect of stress and other factors on the human mind. Dr. Fraser has a Ph.D. in Psychology from New York University He has testified in criminal and civil cases throughout the U.S. in state and federal courts.

Eyewitnesses Questions to ponder Do you think that if you were standing next to someone who was shot by a car driving by you could accurately identify the shooter in the car? As a juror what kinds of evidence would it take you to be certain that some is guilty beyond a “reasonable doubt?” Generally, the prosecutor bears the burden of proof and is required to prove their version of events to this standard. This means that the proposition being presented by the prosecution must be proven to the extent that there could be no "reasonable doubt" in the mind of a "reasonable person" that the defendant is guilty

Eyewitnesses Scott Fraser’s TED.com talk Why eyewitnesses get it wrong

Elizabeth Loftus - Cognitive Psychologist Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus studies false memories. BA in mathematics and psychology with highest honors from the UCLA in 1966. MA in 1967 and Ph.D in 1970 (both in mathematical psychology and both from Stanford University), the only woman in her cohort expert on human memory; extensive research on the malleability of human memory. Loftus is best known for her ground-breaking work on the misinformation effect and eyewitness memory, and the creation and nature of false memories, including recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse. As well as her prolific work inside the laboratory, Loftus has been heavily involved in applying her research to legal settings; she has consulted or provided expert witness testimony for hundreds of cases Loftus has been recognized throughout the world for her work, receiving numerous awards and honorary degrees. In 2002, Loftus was ranked 58th in the Review of General Psychology’s list of the 100 most influential psychological researchers of the 20th century, and was the highest ranked woman on the list basically...she is a psychologist rockstar

Memory Questions to ponder Do you think someone could convince you that when you were five you were attacked by a animal lost in a mall for an hour or so ritualistically abused by devil worshippers Do you think someone could influence you as a child to like certain vegetables more than you actually do? How confident are you that everything that happened to you as a child, actually happened? Why

Memory Elizabeth Loftus’s TED.com talk How reliable is your memory?