The Fragility of Memory in Eyewitness Testimonies

Previous research has suggested that false memories are often present in eyewitness testimonies. However, there is not much research as to the role of timing in the creation of false memories. In this experiment, undergraduate students watched a short video clip of a perpetrator committing a crime. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, which varied in time intervals between the viewing of the crime and the viewing of the lineups. The purpose of this study was to see how likely false recognitions are to occur as the time between the viewing of the crime and the lineup is changed. In addition, we examined the role of misattribution on the first lineup on false memory in a second lineup.