Description
Book SynopsisPsychology, Law and Eyewitness Testimony Peter B. Ainsworth, University of Manchester, UK Before giving evidence, witnesses have to swear to tell ''the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth''. Given current knowledge about human perception and memory, it is unlikely that witnesses will be able to keep this promise. Many professionals within the criminal justice and legal system are involved in recording and assessing eyewitness testimony, sometimes with unrealistic expectations of the ability of eyewitnesses to provide accurate and objective testimony: they, and students of psychology, law and criminology, will welcome this up-to-date, accessible survey of the concepts and research which now inform our knowledge of this field. Peter Ainsworth, an experienced lecturer and researcher, has written this book in a style suitable for non-specialists, and focuses on how and why witnesses make mistakes, how psychologists can help, and how legal procedures can be improved (for instan
Table of ContentsPerception and the Eyewitness.
Theories of Memory and the Eyewitness.
Memory for Events.
Changes in Original Memories.
Facial Memory and the Eyewitness.
Mistaken Identifications.
Improving Witness Recall.
The Use of Hypnosis in Witness Recall.
Children as Witnesses.
Identification via Other Sense Modalities.
The Psychologist as Expert Witness.
Conclusion.
References.
Index.
