Eyewitness Testimony: Effects of Gender on Memory Recall Essay Example
Eyewitness Testimony: Effects of Gender on Memory Recall Georgia College and State University
Abstract
Eyewitness testimony is a frequently used tool in the judicial system. Although studies have shown that eyewitness testimony is not always accurate due to the many different factors that affect our everyday memory, this study focused on gender being a factor in memory recall. Male and female participants were shown a video of a crime that was taking place. Participants watched a video of either a male or a female committing a crime. After watching the video participants were given a series of recall tests, and evaluated on their accuracy of the event. The responses were then compared. Participants were given points based on the accuracy of their responses. Gender was also evaluated in this study. Each participant was asked to identify the sex of the criminal as well. According to previously recorded research women will be more likely to identify a female criminal, and have a higher recall of true details from the crime.
Exploring Eyewitness Testimony:
The Effects of Gender on Memory Recall
Memory is “the process involved in retaining, retrieving, and using information about stimuli, images, events, ideas, and skills after the original information is no longer present” (Goldstein 116). Memory is made up of sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory holds information for only a few seconds. Short-term memory holds 5-7 items for about 15-30 seconds. Long-term memory can hold a large capacity of information for long periods of time. Long-term memory consists of explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory is made up of episodic and semantic memories. Episodic memory is memories based on personal experience, whereas semantic memories consist of fact and knowledge. Implicit memories consist of priming, procedural memory, and classical conditioning. Implicit memories are also known as non-declarative memory because they
Abstract
Eyewitness testimony is a frequently used tool in the judicial system. Although studies have shown that eyewitness testimony is not always accurate due to the many different factors that affect our everyday memory, this study focused on gender being a factor in memory recall. Male and female participants were shown a video of a crime that was taking place. Participants watched a video of either a male or a female committing a crime. After watching the video participants were given a series of recall tests, and evaluated on their accuracy of the event. The responses were then compared. Participants were given points based on the accuracy of their responses. Gender was also evaluated in this study. Each participant was asked to identify the sex of the criminal as well. According to previously recorded research women will be more likely to identify a female criminal, and have a higher recall of true details from the crime.
Exploring Eyewitness Testimony:
The Effects of Gender on Memory Recall
Memory is “the process involved in retaining, retrieving, and using information about stimuli, images, events, ideas, and skills after the original information is no longer present” (Goldstein 116). Memory is made up of sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory holds information for only a few seconds. Short-term memory holds 5-7 items for about 15-30 seconds. Long-term memory can hold a large capacity of information for long periods of time. Long-term memory consists of explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory is made up of episodic and semantic memories. Episodic memory is memories based on personal experience, whereas semantic memories consist of fact and knowledge. Implicit memories consist of priming, procedural memory, and classical conditioning. Implicit memories are also known as non-declarative memory because they