Alcohol intoxicated eyewitnesses´ delayed recall of a kidnapping.

• This study investigated how different doses of alcohol affected eyewitness recall. Participants (N = 126) were randomly assigned to three groups with different blood alcohol concentration (BAC), either a control group (mean BAC 0.00%, N = 42), a lower alcohol dose group (mean BAC 0.04%, N = 40), or a higher alcohol dose group (mean BAC 0.06%, N = 44). After consumption in a laboratory, participants witnessed a film of a mock crime where a woman was kidnapped by two men. One week after, the witnesses were interviewed in a sober state, by interviewers who were blind to which beverage the witnesses had consumed the week before. The main results showed that witnesses with the higher intoxication level recalled fewer details compared to witnesses with the lower intoxication level. The amount of alcohol consumed did not have an impact on the accuracy rate. No sex differences were found. We conclude that more studies are needed before recommendations can be made to an applied setting, but this study showed that alcohol may have a negative impact on eyewitness recall.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Tillämpad psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Applied Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Alcohol

eyewitness memory

recall

delayed interview

intoxicated witnesses

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)