Case Study AssignmentThe topic of the Case Assignment is the issue of memory and eyewitness testimony. You will be asked to discuss current ideas about how memory works and howthe characteristics of...

Memory and Eyewitness Testimony         2
MEMORY AND EYE WITNESS TESTIMONY
Table of Contents

Introduction
    In criminal justice system, most of the times, outcomes of trials are dependent on the eyewitness testimony. Owing to the complex nature of the human memory, the reliability of the eye witness testimony has been questioned. Traditionally, it is believed that memory functions as a video recorder, in contrast to this opinion, Elizabeth Loftus has focused on the notion that memory is a reconstructive process. Through this essay an effort has been made to explore the functions of memory and how external factors influence and alter the functions of memory. Implications of these findings in context of eyewitness testimony will also be highlighted through this essay. Recommendations shall also be provided to prevent formation of false memories and improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.
Memory Concept of Elizabeth Loftus
    Elizabeth Loftus from her research on memory has revealed that memory is a reconstructive process and is not perfect. Her studies focus on misinformation effect and lost in the mall experiment. Both of these demonstrate that memories can be easily influenced by external factors such as suggestive questioning, and repeated retrieval (Loftus & Loftus, 2019). Furthermore, the studies focus on the notion that what people tend to recall can be significantly different from what actually might have happened and therefore questions the reliability of the eyewitness testimony.
Memory Reconstruction Vs. Playback
    Commonly people believe that memory can be thought of as a video camera, which is capable of recording events permanently, and perfectly. According to this notion, it is believed that the stored incidents in the mind are retrieved clearly and in an altered manner.
Reconstructed Nature of Memory
    In contrast to the common beliefs regarding memory, Elizabeth Loftus has described memory as a dynamic and reconstructive process. The central idea of the theory is humans tend to embellish memories of past events with the knowledge they tend to construct (De Brigard, 2023). The details of such events tend to change each time we tend to recollect them. This further focuses on the notion that how memories are likely to be distorted and inaccurate each time they are recalled.
Supporting Evidence
Misinformation Effect
    Elizabeth Loftus through her studies has made substantial contributions towards developing a better understanding of memory through her studies on misinformation effect. As per the research, when the subjects were provided with false information about something they visually see, they tend to store this false information in their memory. In this particular experiment, the subjects were made to see a car crash, and then were asked questions, which were not true about the event. It was then observed that the deceptive information, which was provided to the participants had a significant impact on their memory. This experiment highlighted the notion that how easily the memories of individuals can be reshaped and altered.
Lost in the Mall Study
    The lost in the mall study or experiment is a technique of memory implantation, which was used for the purpose of demonstrating confabulations about events that never took place (Murphy et al., 2023). For instance, subjects were provided the memory that they have been lost in the mall as a child. The thesis Elizabeth Loftus has focused on through this experiment is that it is possible to implant entirely false memories in people. This technique was developed in the context of debate about false memory syndrome, and repressed memory.
Manipulation and Change of Memories
External Influences on Memory
    Human memories can be easily manipulated, through the suggestions and guidance...