Memory Decay
What happens to memories over time?
They naturally fade.
Are memories easily influenced? Yes or No?
Yes
When witnesses may be highly confident in their recollections, do they always mean they are correct?
No, those recollections can be incorrect.
Fill in the blank:
--------- make it harder to identify the perpetrator.
Fill in the blank:
-------- can narrow an individual's focus.
Stress
What could memory decay lead to?
Inaccuracies in the eyewitness's account.
What are memories not? What can't they do?
Memory is not like a video recording. You can't record or capture everything.
In what way can confidence influence the credibility of eyewitness.
In legal proceedings.
What do weapons cause during a case?
This can lead to a limited and biased memory of the event.
What does stress make you do? (Other than narrow focus)
Making you more likely to miss important details or even remember events inaccurately.
What do studies say about memory decay?
The results indicated that initial recall should be completed within 24 hours of an incident.
Do everything you recall is true? Explain.
No, eyewitnesses may unknowingly fill in gaps in their memory with false or imagined details.
Does confidence play a role in a witness's memory?
Eyewitness confidence does not necessarily correlate with the accuracy of their memory.
What do weapons involved make an eyewitness do?
Makes them often focus on the weapon itself rather than the perpetrator's face or other details.
What can affect the memories of a witness?
High levels of stress or strong emotions during a witnessed event can impair memory recall.