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Cognitive psychology of human memory (CogMemo thesaurus)

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Concept information

phenomenon > metamemory phenomenon > post-identification feedback effect

Preferred term

post-identification feedback effect  

Definition

  • A metamemory phenomenon observed when the feedback provided to an eyewitness after he or she has made an identification in a police line-up affects his or her confidence in his or her decision, as well as the recollection of the identification process.

Broader concept

Bibliographic citation(s)

  • • Douglass, A., & Steblay, N. (2006). Memory distortion in eyewitnesses: A meta-analysis of the post-identification feedback effect. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20, 859–869. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1237

    • Document type: meta-analysis

    • Access: closed

  • • Fukushima, Y., Jordan, K., & Garry, M. (2024). To what extent does post-identification feedback translate into witness behaviour? Memory, 32(8), 959–967. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2024.2372384

    • Document type: empirical study

    • Access: closed

  • • Greenspan, R. L., & Loftus, E. F. (2020). Eyewitness confidence malleability: Misinformation as post-identification feedback. Law and Human Behavior, 44(3), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000369

    • Document type: empirical study

    • Access: closed

  • • Steblay, N. K., Wells, G. L., & Douglass, A. B. (2014). The eyewitness post identification feedback effect 15 years later: Theoretical and policy implications. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 20(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000001

    • Document type: meta-analysis

    • Access: closed

  • • Wells, G., & Douglass, A. (1998). “Good, you identified the suspect”: Feedback to eyewitnesses distorts their reports of the witnessing experience. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 360–376. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-9010.83.3.360

    • Document type: empirical study

    • Access: closed

Creator

  • Frank Arnould

Example

  • If the feedback to an eyewitness confirms that the person identified is the suspect, the eyewitness tends to be more confident in his or her decision, to feel that he or she perceived the perpetrator better, or to have identified the person more easily, compared to a person who did not receive this feedback.

In other languages

URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/P66-DRTM34VV-8

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