NCJ Number
116639
Date Published
1989
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Results of experiments on the effects of false or suggestive information that is provided between the time that an event is experienced and reported form the basis of an analysis of distortions in the memory of eyewitnesses.
Abstract
In the experiments participants witness a complex event, like a film of a crime or an accident. Subsequently some participants receive new and often misleading information about the event; the control subjects do not. Finally, all the participants try to recall the original event. The experiments have shown that the time delay, the form of the postevent information, situational factors surrounding the original event, and warnings about the possibility of misinformation all influence the degree of change in the recollection. In all cases, the subject's detection of discrepancies between the original memory and the postevent information appears to be a crucial factor. Further research has shown that slower reading of postevent information increases the detection of discrepancies and that exposure to postevent information enhances some observers' memory of the details of the critical item. In addition, the way that a subject is tested will influence the results. Finally, the evidence indicates that no memories are exclusively original or exclusively suggested. Memories are neat photographs; instead they may be more like montages containing original and suggested features blended into a holistic representation. 12 references.