“whereas the legal system assumes that the testimony given by eyewitnesses should be independent of one another (ref.), this is frequently not the case.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia … because eyewitness information is often conveyed from one witness to another through discussion, it is important to ascertain the effects of co-witness information on the validity of eyewitness testimony.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia to address this aim, …”

The overall goals of this chapter were firstly to establish the significance of the general field of study, then identify a place where a new contribution could be made.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia the bulk of the chapter was on critically evaluating the different methodologies used in this field so as to identify the appropriate approach for investigating the research question(s).Cognitive learning theory wikipedia

2. “one study has shown that eyewitness errors are the most common cause of false convictions (ref.). Almost all innocent individuals exonerated by DNA evidence had been convicted primarily as a result of erroneous eyewitness evidence (ref.) consequently, a great deal of research has focussed on the unreliability of eyewitness testimony (refs.).”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

4. “yarmey and morris (1998) suggest that, ‘the capricious results among these investigations are probably due to methodological differences and variability in subject matter’ (p. 1638).Cognitive learning theory wikipedia to appreciate the effects of co-witness information on eyewitness reports, we must examine, in detail, the different methodologies that have been used to investigate this topic.”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

5. “ traditionally, researchers in memory have aimed to keep procedures free from contamination, such as other people’s memories (ref.). However, such a narrow focus may not fully explain how people remember (ref.).Cognitive learning theory wikipedia because such ‘contamination’ is common to memory, understanding its effects enables greater knowledge of memory itself (ref.). … therefore, instead of intentionally avoiding the social aspects of memory, they should be explored in their own right.”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

6. Reviews the chronological development of research in this area (an approach that is useful at times, but not always the best). Discusses one key paper at a time by describing its methods and key findings, but then identifies weaknesses in the method and/or limitations in the findings.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia then discusses how the next researchers tried to address these problems.

6. “ while the above studies provide valuable information regarding the social aspects of memory, caution needs to be exercised before applying these results to the judicial area.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia one should not assume the results obtained from studies using stories and word lists as stimuli can be generalised to forensic contexts.” … “that is, the differences found between individuals and groups could simply be due to the participants giving their reports for a second time …” … “ A limitation of this research on collaborative memory is that the memory of groups is compared with that of individuals.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia … group performance should not be compared with individual performance but rather with ‘nominal groups’ comprised of pooled, non-redundant data from the same number of people tested individually.”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

8. “… most research involving the experimentally induced information methodology seeks to identify the influence of misinformation presented by one witness to another, and therefore the assumption is made that discussion between witnesses is a detrimental process.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia it may therefore be advantageous to also investigate the effects of co-witness information using natural discussion groups as this methodology has high ecological validity.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia however, few studies have used this methodology, and those that have, have yielded mixed findings. Therefore, future investigation using the natural discussion group methodology would be helpful to better understand the effects of discussion on memory.”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

1. “while the misinformation effect is a well-established phenomenon, ‘what remains in dispute is the nature of a satisfactory theoretical explanation’ (ref.).Cognitive learning theory wikipedia … therefore, in order to understand why memory conformity occurs, we must draw from both cognitive research on memory and social research on conformity.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia in this section, relevant cognitive and social theories are discussed in order to (1) explain the occurrence of memory conformity and (2) describe factors that influence memory conformity.”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

4. “the suggestion that memory conformity is a result of biased guessing is similar to the informational influence explanation because in both instances … however, the distinguishing feature between the two explanations is that …” … “whilst biased guessing may account for the misinformation effect that occurs in some instances (refs.), research suggests that it is not the only reason for the occurrence of the misinformation effect. ( supporting evidence) … this suggests that the misinformation effect may be due at least partially to memory impairment, rather than just biased guessing.”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

5. “informational influence, biased guessing, and modification of memory may help to explain why memory conformity occurs when participants are tested individually, as they are in the studies presented in this thesis.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia … the research presented in this thesis compares these alternative explanations to determine which best explains memory conformity in individual recall following co-witness discussion. ( why this is important to do)”

cognitive learning theory wikipedia

7. “ whist it has been shown that in some circumstances many people tend to conform to the opinions of others, we also know that some people are able to resist conforming in some situations.Cognitive learning theory wikipedia for example, … this section of the literature review examines factors influencing whether or not a person is likely to conform that are (1) in the situation, and (2) within the individual.”