Effects of experiencing the eyewitness identification process and hearing psychological testimony on juror decisions

Eyewitness identifications are used extensively in courtroom proceedings. With the great numbers of mistaken convictions due to mistaken identifications, it is essential to investigate ways of reducing mistaken convictions by investigating factors that cause mistaken convictions. The present study focuses on the impact of juror decisions when they are given expert testimony about the limitations of eyewitness identification and are given the experience of the eyewitness identification procedure. This study was a 2 (hearing expert testimony: yes/no) X 2 (eyewitness identification experience: yes/no) factorial design. Results indicated that the eyewitness identification procedure did have a significant impact on juror decisions; however the expert testimony did not. The eyewitness identification experience may have an impact in real life trials, helping to reduce mistaken convictions based on incorrect eyewitness identifications.