Two transit police officers, Officer Chen and Officer Davis, are reviewing a witness statement following a confrontation on a train platform.
"Immediately after the incident, the commuter was positive that the person who initiated the argument was wearing a bright white baseball cap," says Officer Chen. "However, after they waited in the station office and chatted with other passengers who were discussing the fight, they revised their description, claiming the individual was actually wearing a black beanie and that their memory was likely influenced by what the others were saying."
"That means we cannot rely on this statement to identify the main suspect," replies Officer Davis.
Discuss the effect of post-event discussion on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. Refer to the conversation above in your answer.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Eyewitness testimony with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 82 questions, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
