1. Memory – Introduction and Application
Linda Murphy-Boyer B.Sc, M.A
Lecturer, PSY100
Department of Psychology
University of Toronto
June 18, 2003

2. The Psychology of Eyewitness Testimony
Is Eyewitness testimony a valid means of determining guilt?
Three stages of processing an important event
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval
Factors that can affect eyewitness memory in these
three stages
Encoding stage factors
Violence, Unconscious Transference, Divided
Attention
Storage stage factors
Time factors
Retrieval stage factors
Expectations, Misremembering

3. Approximately 48% of all wrongful convictions are due to misidentification

4. 48% REALITY DECISION It really is the criminal It’s not the criminal
YES, that’s the guilty person
48%
NO, that’s not the guilty person

5. Three Steps in Processing an Important Event:
The encoding stage--perception of the original
event
The storage stage--time between the event
and the recollection of a piece of information
The retrieval stage--recall of the stored information

6. Encoding Stage Factors:
Violence
Weapons Focus - Loftus.
Violence towards a Child - Loftus and Burns
Unconscious Transference
Donald Thompson - falsely accused
Robbery in the Cafeteria - Ross and Ceci
Divided Attention

7. Storage Stage Factors Time Factors A Self Test
How Long Before We Forget?-Shepherd

8. Shepard Results % Recalled 2 Hrs. 3 Days 7 Days 4 Mths. 99.7% 92% 87%
57.7%
2 Hrs.
3 Days
7 Days 4
Mths.

9. Retrieval Stage Factors
Expectations
Telephone game - Allport and Postman
Mis-remembering
Mis-remembering and the
Just Desserts Case
Misinformation Effect - Loftus

10. Three Experimental Situations in the Misinformation Paradigm (Loftus)
Subjects view an event
Subjects are exposed to (misleading)
information about the event
Subjects recall the event to see if the
misleading information has had an effect

11. Contacted Hit Bumped Collided into Smashed into
How fast were the cars going when they ******* each other?
Contacted
Hit
Bumped
Collided into
Smashed into

12. Loftus 1 Speed estimates for the different verbs used in the witness question
41mph
39mph
Estimated Speed
38mph
34mph
32mph
Contacted
Hit
Bumped
Collided
Smashed