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Eyewitness testimony (EWT) is the evidence provided by people who witnessed a crime or significant event. Research has shown that EWT can be unreliable due to the influence of misleading information and anxiety. Understanding the factors that affect EWT accuracy is critical for the justice system and is a key area of the AQA A-Level Psychology specification.
Key Definition: Eyewitness testimony (EWT) is the account given by a witness to a crime or event, used as evidence in court. It relies on the accuracy of the witness's memory, which can be affected by many factors including misleading information, post-event discussion, and anxiety.
Misleading information is incorrect information given to a witness after an event, which may alter their memory of the event. It can take the form of leading questions or post-event discussion.
Key Definition: A leading question is a question that suggests a particular answer or contains information that may influence the witness's response. For example, "How fast was the car going when it smashed into the other car?" implies a high-speed collision.
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