Comments on: Can eyewitnesses trust their memory? http://www.futurity.org/society-culture/can-eyewitnesses-trust-their-memory/ Research news from leading universities Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:52:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Thomas Vernier http://www.futurity.org/society-culture/can-eyewitnesses-trust-their-memory/comment-page-1/#comment-1797 Thomas Vernier Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:41:46 +0000 http://futurity.org/?p=5601#comment-1797 Eyewitness identification is usually a somewhat intense process. Ever-present are several often ignored factors as have been described in the works of Dr.Elizabeth F.Loftus and a number of her peers. Many of these same factors can lead the fact gathering scientist into erroneous conclusions. There is however one element rarely if ever acknowledged and that is the Expectancy Affect. It's tendrils are subtle and known to have great length. And it's a pistol to eliminate from the experimental environment. One could only hope that Professor Wells is aware of and prepared to neutralize the multitude of traps that could skew his end results. I am intimately aware of the flaws inherent in eye-witness identification and testimony. Eyewitness identification is usually a somewhat intense process. Ever-present are several often ignored
factors as have been described in the works of Dr.Elizabeth F.Loftus and a number of her peers. Many of these same factors can lead the fact gathering scientist into erroneous conclusions.
There is however one element rarely if ever acknowledged and that is the Expectancy Affect. It’s tendrils are subtle and known to have great length. And it’s a pistol to eliminate from the experimental environment.

One could only hope that Professor Wells is aware of and prepared to neutralize the multitude of traps that could skew his end results.
I am intimately aware of the flaws inherent in eye-witness identification and testimony.

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