You are a juror in a robbery case. You are listening to the testimony of two eyewitnesses, one was robbed at gun- point on the street at night and one who observed the robbery from a distance

Question

Describe the factors that could affect the accuracy of these eyewitness perceptions.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer will include that an eyewitness's testimony about an event can be affected by how the questions to the witness are worded. Eyewitness testimony about an event often reflects not only what was actually seen but also information obtained later on. An eyewitness's perception and memory for an event may be affected by his or her attitudes, expectations, and even the previous questioning by the police. Alcohol intoxication impairs later ability to recall events. Eyewitnesses are better at identifying members of their own race than they are at identifying people of other races. The presence of a weapon impairs an eyewitness's ability to accurately identify the culprit's face, so a witness who observed from a distance may be equal to or better than the witness who was robbed at gunpoint. An eyewitness's confidence is not a good predictor of his or her accuracy. The less time an eyewitness has to observe an event, the less well she or he will perceive and remember it. Eyewitnesses sometimes identify as a culprit someone they have seen in another situation or context.
Judgments of color (of clothing) made under monochromatic light, such as an orange street light, are highly unreliable. Very high levels of stress impair the accuracy of eyewitness perceptions.