B2985 - The Psychology of Eyewitness Testimony

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will:

• understand the characteristics of visual memory that affect the ability to recognize the defendant’s face;

• be familiar with the main procedures for constructing lineups and the various techniques used in forensic settings for suspect identification.

Course contents

This course provides an introduction to the core principles of eyewitness psychology, focusing on the cognitive, perceptual, and social processes that affect the accuracy of memory in forensic settings.

Through the analysis of scientific studies and experimental findings, students will explore:

• Why eyewitness testimony can be unreliable;

• Internal factors that influence memory performance (e.g., acute stress, subjective confidence, cross-race bias, individual differences);

• External factors that compromise memory accuracy (e.g., time delays, duration of exposure, weapon focus, changes in appearance, misleading post-event information, simultaneous vs. sequential lineups);

• Mechanisms of face perception and recognition, including classic theoretical models and recent neuroscientific evidence.

The course encourages a critical perspective on the reliability of eyewitness reports and aims to provide a scientifically grounded understanding of memory in legal contexts.

Readings/Bibliography

• Lecture slides and course materials

• Selected scientific articles (in English)

• Examples from empirical studies and case reports

Note:
Currently, there is no textbook available in Italian on this topic. The instructor will provide English-language readings and supplementary materials through the course platform.

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 covering all the topics of the course.

There will be 31 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 31 minutes. The scoring will be as follows: +1 point for each correct answer, 0 points for each incorrect or unanswered question.

 

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

• Lecture slides and visual materials presented in class

• Selected scientific articles for further reading

• Supplementary video resources (e.g., from YouTube) to support topic comprehension

All materials will be made available on the course’s online platform.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Pavan