B2985 - The Psychology of Eyewitness Testimony

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the students: - understand the visual mechanisms underlying face processing and recognition; -understand the characteristics of visual memory that affect the ability to recognize the defendant's face; - understand the main methods of constructing a lineup and the different techniques used in forensic settings for suspect identification.

Course contents

Introduction to the psychology of eyewitness testimony

Face perception

Representation of faces in memory and recognition of familiar and unfamiliar faces

Why eyewitnesses fail

A perceptual scaling approach to eyewitness identification

Illustrations from scientific articles highlighting internal factors influencing eyewitness performance (e.g., stress, confidence, cross-race bias, individual differences)

Instances from scientific literature showcasing external factors impacting the accuracy of eyewitnesses (e.g., passage of time, exposure duration, distance, weapon focus, lighting, disguise/changed appearance, misinformation, simultaneous vs. sequential lineups)

Readings/Bibliography

- Slides
- Selected book chapters
- Articles

Note: Currently, there is no textbook available in Italian on these topics. The instructor will use articles and book chapters in English related to the topics.

Teaching methods

The module consists of 3 ECTS credits, equivalent to 24 hours of face-to-face lectures.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist of a multiple-choice test.

There will be 30 multiple-choice questions to be completed within a time limit of 30 minutes. The scoring will be as follows: +1 point for each correct answer, 0 points for each unanswered question.

The exam will be considered passed if a score equivalent to half of the maximum attainable score is achieved.

Teaching tools

- Course slides
- Course-related videos from YouTube
- Textbook chapters
- Scientific articles

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Pavan