Eyewitness memory of a supermarket robbery: a case study of accuracy and confidence after 3 months

Law Hum Behav. 2009 Dec;33(6):506-14. doi: 10.1007/s10979-008-9152-x. Epub 2008 Aug 22.

Abstract

In this case study, 14 witnesses of an armed robbery were interviewed after 3 months. Security camera recordings were used to assess memory accuracy. Of all information that could be remembered about 84% was correct. Although accurately recalled information had a higher confidence level on average than inaccurately recalled information, the mean accuracy-confidence correlation was rather modest (0.38). These findings indicate that confidence is not a reliable predictor of accuracy. A higher level of self-reported, post-event thinking about the incident was associated with higher confidence levels, while a higher level of self-reported emotional impact was associated with greater accuracy. A potential source of (mis)information, a reconstruction of the robbery broadcasted on TV, did not alter the original memories of the witnesses.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Awareness*
  • Female
  • Food Industry*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Recall*
  • Middle Aged
  • Netherlands
  • Qualitative Research
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Theft*
  • Time Factors
  • Videotape Recording
  • Visual Perception
  • Young Adult