What is eye witness recall in psychology?

Answer 1

Eyewitness Recall refers to false memories in Psychology.

Specifically they are accounts of events by witnesses of a crime. Often eyewitnesses seem to remember things which didn't happen and characters who look very different from their true physical features.

Especially when investigators ask questions which suggest. Example: "Was the suspect wearing a green coat?" Witnesses are then more likely to falsely remember the person was wearing a green coat.

A better question would be phrased "Was the suspect wearing any distinct clothing?" This question would increase the accuracy of the witnesses recall ability.

The problem with Eyewitness Recall is that often "normal people" believe in the false memories. They are easily implanted by suggestions and other peoples stories. Memory is not completely reliable when we lose the cues which access the correct information.

Answer 2

Eyewitness recall in psychology refers to the process by which individuals remember and report details about an event they have witnessed. This process can be influenced by factors such as stress, leading questions, and post-event information, all of which can affect the accuracy of the eyewitness's memory. Research in this area aims to understand how memory works and how to improve the reliability of eyewitness testimony in legal settings.