Premium
From the archive: ‘Memory conformity: Can eyewitnesses influence each other's memories for an event?’ by F. Gabbert, A. Memon, & K. Allan (2003). Applied Cognitive Psychology , 17 , 533–543 with commentary
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.1784
Subject(s) - psychology , eyewitness memory , misinformation , conformity , witness , eyewitness testimony , context (archaeology) , suggestibility , cognition , affect (linguistics) , recall , social psychology , psychological research , testimonial , experimental psychology , false memory , malleability , cognitive psychology , communication , paleontology , neuroscience , political science , computer science , encryption , ciphertext , advertising , business , operating system , law , biology , programming language
This paper established a new direction for researchers interested in the malleability of memory in a forensic context or eyewitness paradigm. The paper was the first to extend ‘misinformation’ effects established in controlled laboratory settings to witness reports following discussions with fellow witnesses. This was achieved within a relatively naturalistic situation and it persuasively demonstrated what had long been observed in the social psychological literature: that the opinions of others affect our behaviour but can also quite dramatically alter our reports as well as our beliefs and memories. When eyewitnesses comply with the reports of others in a social interaction, the longterm consequences for their recollections are clearly substantial. This paper has stimulated much research which has reinforced and extended the basic findings.