Abstract
According to an effect termed choice blindness (for a demonstration see http://bit.ly/1idqDg0) people have difficulty in detecting changes in the outcome of their own choices. In this dissertation we investigated whether eyewitnesses would notice if they were presented with a different person than the one they originally identified, or if details in their statements were altered. The findings indicate that a large proportion of eyewitnesses fail to detect mistakes and changes in their identification decisions and witness statements. Clearly, mistaken or deliberate alterations of even minor details can impede the accurate reconstruction of an event and possibly incriminate innocent suspects.
Original language | English |
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Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisors/Advisors |
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Award date | 17 Sept 2015 |
Place of Publication | Maastricht |
Publisher | |
Print ISBNs | 9789462991699 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords
- eyewitness testimony
- choice blindness