Eyewitness Testimony

Eyewitness testimony (EWT) is the evidence provided by a person who witnessed a crime or significant event. It is one of the most important — and most controversial — types of evidence in the criminal justice system. Psychological research has shown that EWT can be surprisingly unreliable, yet juries tend to find it very persuasive.

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What is Eyewitness Testimony?

EWT refers to an account given by a person who has witnessed a crime or event. It typically includes:

• Recall of events — what happened, in what order
• Description of people — what the suspect looked like, what they were wearing
• Identification — picking out a suspect from a line-up or set of photographs

EWT is important because it is often the only evidence available in criminal cases. However, research has consistently shown that eyewitness accounts are not always accurate and can be influenced by a range of psychological factors.

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Loftus and Palmer (1974): The Leading Questions Study

This study (described in the previous lesson) demonstrated that the wording of questions asked after an event can significantly alter a person's memory of that event.