Post #5 Presentation

Once the Literature Review was completed, the next step was to create an oral presentation on our topic for Assignment 4.

I was really excited for the oral presentation because it gave me the opportunity to talk more about my topic, Accuracy in Eyewitness Identification. In combining the two fields of Psychology and the Law, I felt it was important to begin by discussing the state of both fields. The issue of accuracy in eyewitness identification is a perfect combination of psychology and the law because it lends itself well to the scientific method. It's interesting to note that over 90% of wrongful convictions are based on inaccurate eyewitness identifications.

This topic is important as accuracy within the system is crucial, any mistake (while common) can be detrimental for those involved. With this topic, it's interesting to see how the goals of the criminal justice system may conflict with the goals of psychological research. Within the criminal justice system, it appears that more often than not the rush to solve the crime takes priority over discovering the truth. One could say that the goal of identifying the actual (rather than perceived) perpetrator of the crime is elusive, and unintentionally neglected. According to psychological research, for police and detectives a resolution is more desirable than discovering an objectively established truth.

While the Law is black and white, it identifies two separate truths (guilt vs innocence, right vs wrong, etc) Psychology is open to various explanations and is willing to accept a grey area. incorporating psychology into this issue touches on the fact that the study of this phenomenon moves beyond common sense and requires scientific research. The law isn't responsible for these mistaken identifications, rather, it is the result of psychological factors that influence perception and memory.

The ultimate question that will be researched further in my paper is whether or not eyewitness identification can become more reliable? Complete elimination is impossible, and as a result effective solutions have to be identified and then implemented. Through focusing on issues in perception and memory, I plan to further explore this issue in my paper.