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Testing Eyewitness Memory: Developing a Measure that is More Resistant to Suggestibility

Testing Eyewitness Memory: Developing a Measure that is More Resistant to Suggestibility This study identifies a memory-testing procedure that is relatively resistant to the documented effects of suggestibility on eyewitness memory. Most studies on suggestibility have used a verbal recognition memory test in which the alternative test items are sentences, each to be verified as true or false regarding an originally viewed visual sequence. In this study, participants were tested with either the verbal recognition memory test typical of studies demonstrating the eyewitness suggestibility effect or a visual recognition memory test. The typical eyewitness suggestibility effect resulted in the verbal test condition. However, with the visual recognition memory test, the hit rates did not significantly differ between the control and misled conditions. Thus, in testing memory for a visual event, a visual recognition memory test is more resistant to the influences of suggestibility than is a verbal test. These results suggest that the original item is preserved in memory, not overwritten by the misleading information. Accordingly, with a visual recognition memory test, the original information is more likely to be recovered with a visual recognition memory test than with a verbal one. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Law and Human Behavior American Psychological Association

Testing Eyewitness Memory: Developing a Measure that is More Resistant to Suggestibility

Law and Human Behavior , Volume 17 (3): 9 – Jun 1, 1993

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References (19)

Publisher
American Psychological Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Psychological Association
ISSN
0147-7307
eISSN
1573-661X
DOI
10.1007/BF01044514
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This study identifies a memory-testing procedure that is relatively resistant to the documented effects of suggestibility on eyewitness memory. Most studies on suggestibility have used a verbal recognition memory test in which the alternative test items are sentences, each to be verified as true or false regarding an originally viewed visual sequence. In this study, participants were tested with either the verbal recognition memory test typical of studies demonstrating the eyewitness suggestibility effect or a visual recognition memory test. The typical eyewitness suggestibility effect resulted in the verbal test condition. However, with the visual recognition memory test, the hit rates did not significantly differ between the control and misled conditions. Thus, in testing memory for a visual event, a visual recognition memory test is more resistant to the influences of suggestibility than is a verbal test. These results suggest that the original item is preserved in memory, not overwritten by the misleading information. Accordingly, with a visual recognition memory test, the original information is more likely to be recovered with a visual recognition memory test than with a verbal one.

Journal

Law and Human BehaviorAmerican Psychological Association

Published: Jun 1, 1993

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