Psychology of Eyewitnesses Testimony

Full course description

This course provides contemporary insights into the psychology of eyewitness testimony. For example, students will learn about eyewitness memory, if and why eyewitnesses report details of a crime, how well eyewitnesses can recall details of a crime and identify the perpetrator from a lineup. Students will also learn about human face recognition, the principles underlying composite construction, and the best practices for constructing and administering lineups. Other issues  addressed in this course relate to whether claims of repression and subsequent recovery of traumatic experiences can be valid or whether they (sometimes) reflect false memories, whether the testimonies provided by young children are as reliable as those provided by adults, and the implications of these   topics in court. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with current issues and controversies in eyewitness research, be able to give descriptions of typical methods and experimental work in thisdiscipline, and have insight into the problems that arise from court decisions, which hinge upon testimonies from eyewitness.