NCJ Number
88852
Date Published
1981
Length
37 pages
Annotation
Since eyewitness testimony is a theory about reality constructed by the observer, this theory can be modified according to the observer's personality, the situation, or social pressure, so it is unwise to accept such testimony without questioning its validity.
Abstract
Research psychologists have identified factors that affect the reliability of eyewitness identification. Factors in the original situation that affect eyewitness identification include the relative insignificance of the events as first perceived, the shortness of the period of observation, and less than ideal observation conditions. Factors in the witness that affect his/her perceptions are the presence of stress, physical condition of the witness, prior conditioning and experience, needs and motives, and the desire to be important. The witness' identification can also be affected by circumstances surrounding the testing for the identification. Factors include the length of time from the event to the test, providing additional details in the interrogation, suggestions in the test procedure (lineup or photo array), suggestions from the test giver, desire to conform, relation to authority figures, and influence to make the observer's conclusions fit into an already developed theory of the incident. All of the factors impinging upon witness observations require that the jury in a trial be made aware through expert testimony of specific factors that can undermine the accuracy of witness observation. Seventy-one footnotes are provided.