Observation Skills & Eyewitnesses

What is the order that information is processed in the brain?

1. 1.​ (a)  

2. 2. ​ (b)  

3. 3. ​ (c)  

4. 4.​ (d)  

5. ​ ​ 5. (e)  

• Info from our senses
• What we pay attention to
• Perception
• Short Term Memory
• Long term memory

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-8

True or False: All information received by our senses will be put through the filter of our own perception. (think about the five stages of how information is processed in our brain!)

• TRUE

• FALSE

If someone doesn't pay attention to information received by their senses...

• The information is filtered by their perceptions, but won't enter their memory.

• The information will not be filtered by their perceptions or enter their memory.

• The information will enter their memory but not get filtered by their perceptions.

• The information will still be filtered by their perceptions and will enter their memory.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-8

When our brain applies filters to scenarios around us, this is done...

• consciously

• subconsciously

• both consciously and subconsciously

Eyewitnesses can report what they saw to police in any of these ways (you may pick more than one)

• identifiying someone in a photo lineup

• giving written or spoken testimony

• giving testimony to another witness for them to tell police

• identifiying someone in a physical lineup of people

Sort these factors that effect eyewitness (EW) reliability into the following categories:

Groups:

(a) More Reliable

,

(b) Less Reliable

,

(c) Depends

• Suspect had a large scar on their cheek

• EW underwent a traumatic experience during the crime

• EW saw the crime 1 year ago

• Suspect was same race as EW

• EW saw the crime in a crowded subway car

• EW was three feet away from scene

• Suspect was wearing sunglasses and baseball cap

• EW was already familiar with the scene

• EW believes the person should be found not guilty

Which one of these would make an eyewitness's testimony LESS reliable? You may pick more than one, if appropriate.

• High level of focus

• Stress

• Event happened 5 minutes ago

• Motive to lie

• Witness saw 10 seconds of the crime

Which of these statements below best describes why any very young or old eyewitness is usually less reliable?

• They usually pick the wrong person in the lineup

• They have more bias against certain types of suspects

• They have alzheimer's or dementia which makes their memory worse

• They are more likely to misidentify a suspect if the actual suspect isn't in the lineup

• They don't spend as much time thinking about their choice of suspect

If Amelia sees a man pickpocket another woman, and she gets fired up because she is very angry at the increase of theft in her town, would she be a less reliable witness?

• No, she is more reliable, because she wants to solve the crime, so she is more likely to cooperate.

• No, these thoughts wouldn't make her more or less reliable as a witness.

• Yes, because she has bias.

What are the best fill-in-the-blanks for the following: If Kenneth sees a kid he knows from school commiting a crime, he could be a more reliable witness because​ (a)   but he might be less reliable because ​ (b)  

• he knows the kid's face
• he could have bias for or against the kid.
• He is a similar age to the kid
• He will be scared to rat on the kid