Recognition of previous eyewitness testimony from an altered interrogation protocol : Potential effects of distortions

• The effect of protocol presentation on witnesses' tendency to point out errors in a transcribed version of their verbal testimony was examined in two experiments. Participants were shown a film depicting a robbery and were subsequently questioned. In the process of typing out the testimony, there were six distortions entered into the protocol. When participants were asked to check the content for approval, they either listened to the experimenter reading the protocol out aloud, or read it on their own. The results showed that witnesses who had listened to the content being read to them pointed out significantly fewer distortions, and suggest that protocol presentation may have important implications for the justice system.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

eyewitness testimony

interrogation

protocol presentation

working memory

Psychology

Psykologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)