What kind of implications do particular limitations of human memory have on the use of eye-witness testimony in criminal and civil court cases?

Before responding to the questions below, click on the “Lessons” link on the left and complete the Week 3: Topic 3 – Memory lesson. After completing the lesson, return to the forum here, click the “Post New Conversation” link at the top Week 3 Forum screen, and respond to the following questions.

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General posting requirements can be viewed by clicking the Week 3 Forum “View Full Description” link on the Forums screen under the heading “Forum General Posting Requirements”.

A great deal of controversy has surrounded the phenomenon of “false memory syndrome” and the implications that it has had in our society, particularly in the legal realm. One of the most influential psychologists in the area of memory and eye witness testimony is Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, who has spent three decades as a research psychologist and memory expert in legal cases. To learn more about the controversy surrounding “false memory syndrome,” visit the online LA Weekly website at
http://www.laweekly.com/2004-08-19/news/memory-and-manipulation/ to read the article, “Memory and Manipulation.”

Based on the points that the Loftus article brings up and your readings and research this week respond to the following:

What kind of implications do particular limitations of human memory have on the use of eye-witness testimony in criminal and civil court cases?

Sample Answer 

Introduction 

Eyewitness memory plays a pivotal role in many criminal trials. A substantial body of psychological research on eyewitness memory has developed over the years. The advent of psychological research related to the legal system can be traced to 1908, when Alfred Binet demonstrated that a person’s response to questioning could be influenced by the way in which the question was asked. Although his work did not have a profound influence on the legal system at the time, it was the beginning of empirical research involving witness testimony. Soon thereafter, William Stern actually applied this research directly to eyewitness testimony. This paper examines the kind of implications that particular limitations of human memory have on the use of eye-witness testimony in criminal and civil court cases………