Understanding Eyewitness Memory: Theory and Applications

An essential overview of how perception and memory affect eyewitness testimony

In 1981, sixteen-year-old Michael Williams was convicted on charges of aggravated rape based on the victim’s eyewitness testimony. No other evidence was found linking him to the attack. After nearly twenty-four years, Williams was released after three separate DNA analyses proved his innocence. The victim still maintains that Williams was the culprit.

This heartbreaking case is but one example of eyewitness error. ...