Eyewitness, Essay Example

It is essential to understand, in regard to the credibility of eyewitness testimony, that the intent to report the reality accurately is not necessarily based on the ability to do so. This is a significant problem with eyewitness testimony; the witnesses not only desire to be fully accurate, they usually believe they are, as well. This level of conviction is likely to sway a jury, just as it is inherently supported by the reality of the witness as “being there.” In a very real sense, it is felt that there can be no more definitive evidence than the eyewitness report, as the credibility is based on the twin factors of circumstance and the subsequent certainty of the witness. Nonetheless, while there are cases wherein such testimony may be trusted, it must be remembered that a variety of important elements are likely to weaken what is reported as witnessed fact.

To begin with, perception and memory are highly mutable qualities. The act of witnessing itself is usually affected by multiple circumstances impeding real accuracy of perception. Crimes typically occur quickly and unexpectedly, and a witness may easily be caught off-guard. This acquisition stage, wherein the crime is actually taken in, is then also marked by enormous stress, so perception is likely to be distorted by all of these factors (Bronson, Wilson, & Alert, 2010, p. 476). Equally influential is recall, or rather the unreliability of it. The human mind will “edit” memories, adding or editing to accommodate intentions. While, again, most eyewitnesses genuinely believe they are reporting the truth, the truth itself may be very different than what they think they have seen and believe to be the case.

References

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2010). Social Psychology (7th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.