The public response to the 2002 DC sniper attacks illustrates the fragility of memory in high-stress situations. Over three weeks, a series of shootings left ten people dead, causing widespread terror. When a police tip hotline was set up, law enforcement received over 140,000 tips leading to approximately 35,000 possible suspects, highlighting how easily witnesses can be misled or form inaccurate memories.

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Suggestibility is a memory distortion error where individuals accept and incorporate misinformation from external sources into their personal recollections. This process, which can be triggered by leading questions from sources like a therapist or a police interviewer, can lead to the creation of false memories for events or details that were only suggested, not actually experienced.

Suggestibility

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

A false memory is a recollection of an event, or details of an event, that did not actually occur. This phenomenon highlights that human memory is not a perfect, video-like recording of the past but is instead a reconstructive process capable of creating memories for things that never happened.

False Memories

The 2002 DC sniper attacks provide a stark real-world illustration of suggestibility's impact on criminal investigations. Over a three-week period, a series of shootings that killed ten people created widespread fear, leading law enforcement to receive over 140,000 tips. The investigation was significantly misdirected after a white van was spotted at one shooting site and this detail was publicized by the police chief. Following this news conference, numerous other eyewitnesses reported seeing a white van, likely influenced by the suggestion. This led police and the public to focus almost exclusively on this incorrect lead, ignoring other tips. The error of this focus was revealed when the suspects were finally caught driving a blue sedan, highlighting how external misinformation can create false memories and derail an investigation.

DC Sniper Attacks as an Example of Suggestibility

Suggestion acts as a direct cause for the formation of false memories. This causal relationship occurs when an individual internalizes a proposed idea or piece of information from an external source, subsequently creating a memory for something that was merely suggested rather than genuinely experienced.

Suggestion as a Cause of False Memories

The case of Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton is a landmark example of wrongful conviction driven by eyewitness misidentification. During the initial police identification, Thompson was uncertain, stating she thought Cotton was the perpetrator and that he 'looks most like him.' However, by the time of the trial, this uncertainty had transformed into absolute conviction, heavily influenced by suggestive police procedures. Her compelling testimony led to Cotton's conviction and a sentence of life plus 50 years. Despite a second trial resulting in two life sentences, Cotton was exonerated 11 years later when DNA evidence definitively proved his innocence, showing he had served more than a decade for a crime he did not commit.

The Case of Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton

To reduce the suggestibility of witnesses, interview practices can be modified to use neutral and less leading language. This approach is particularly effective for child witnesses, as it helps them provide more accurate recollections of events and individuals involved.

Modified Questioning Techniques for Witnesses

Suggestibility and misattribution are both memory distortion errors that result in false memories. The primary distinction between them is the origin of the misinformation. In misattribution, the false memory is generated internally by the individual. In suggestibility, the false memory is formed by incorporating misleading information from an external source.

Comparison of Suggestibility and Misattribution

Read the following scenario. Analyze how the witness's final testimony was likely shaped by a specific type of memory distortion. Identify the distortion and explain the process by which their memory was altered, referencing specific details from the scenario.

Eyewitness Memory Analysis

Analyze the witness's changing recollection of the event. Explain the psychological process that accounts for the witness's memory of the car 'speeding' and the presence of a 'large dent' that they did not initially observe.

Eyewitness Memory Distortion

False memories can be created as a result of suggestibility. When an individual is exposed to misinformation from external sources, the fragility of memory allows this incorrect information to take root, causing the person to remember details that did not actually occur.

False Memories via Suggestibility

Eyewitness Suggestibility Example: DC Sniper Attacks

During a series of shootings, a police chief broadcasted a picture of a white van spotted at one of the crime scenes. Following this exposure to leading information, several other eyewitnesses claimed they also saw a white van fleeing the scene. This led police and the public to focus exclusively on the more than 70,000 white vans in the area and ignore other tips. This case illustrates how suggestibility and the misinformation effect can influence eyewitness memory, as the suspects were ultimately found driving a blue sedan.

White Van Case

In a 1974 study by Loftus and Palmer, the perceived speed of two cars that have crashed into each other varied based on the questioner's verb. The data showed that the verb 'smashed' resulted in a perceived speed of about 41 mph. The estimated speeds for other verbs were about 39 mph for 'collided', about 37 mph for 'bumped', about 34 mph for 'hit', and about 32 mph for 'contacted'.

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