Eyewitness Memory

Essentials of Human Memory evolved from a belief that, although the amount we know about memory has increased enormously in recent years, it is still possible to explain it in a way that would be fully understood by the general reader. This book is based on an earlier book, Your Memory, which was intended for the general public, but began to be used as a basic memory text, thus encouraging the development of the present revised textbook version. Essentials of Human Memory combines coverage of the fundamental issues of human memory, based on laboratory research with abundant illustrations from studies in the real world and in the neuropsychological clinic, where dramatic memory deficits have continued to throw light on our understanding of normal memory. After a broad overview of approaches to the study of memory, short-term and working memory are discussed, followed by learning, the role of organizing in remembering and factors influencing forgetting, including emotional variables and claims for the role of repression in what has become known as the false memory syndrome. The way in which knowledge of the world is stored is discussed next, followed by an account of the processes underlying retrieval, and their application to the practical issues of eyewitness testimony. The breakdown of memory in the amnesic syndrome is discussed next, followed by discussion of the way in which memory develops in children, and declines in the elderly. After a section concerned with mnemonic techniques and memory improvement, the book ends with an overview of recent developments in the field of human memory.

Understanding the interplay between memory and emotion is crucial for the work of researchers in many arenas - clinicians, psychologists interested in eyewitness testimony, psychobiologists, to name just a few. Memory and Emotion spans all these areas and brings them together into one volume. Daniel Reisberg and Paula Hertel have assembled contributions from the most visible and productive researchers working at the intersection of emotion and memory. The result is a sophisticated profile of our current understanding of how memory is shaped both by emotion and emotional disorder. The diverse list of topics includes the biology of traumatic memory, the memory disorders produced by depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, the nature of emotional memory both in children and the elderly, and the collective memory processes at work in remembering the Holocaust. This unified collection of cutting-edge research will be an invaluable guide to scholars and students in many different research areas.

This study integrates social science research, social policy, and legal analysis related to children and the law. It provides the most cutting-edge information available on topics such as child abuse, children's eyewitness testimony, divorce and custody, juvenile crime, and children's rights. The volume is an important resource for researchers, attorneys, judges, policy makers, legislators, and mental health, social service, and police professionals.

Memories are the ultimate foundation of testimony in legal settings ranging from criminal trials to divorce mediations and custody hearings. Yet the last decade has seen mounting evidence of various ways in which the accuracy of memories can be distorted on the one hand and enhanced on the other. This book offers a long-awaited comprehensive and balanced overview of what we now understand about children's and adults' eyewitness capabilities--and of the important practical and theoretical implications of this new understanding. The authors, leading clinicians and behavioral scientists with diverse training experiences and points of view, provide insight into the social, cognitive, developmental, and legal factors that affect the accuracy and quality of information obtained in forensic interviews. Armed with the knowledge these chapters convey, practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, social work, criminology, law, and other relevant fields will be better informed about the strengths and limitations of witnesses' accounts; researchers will be better poised to design powerful new studies. Memory and Suggestibility in the Forensic Interview will be a crucial resource for anyone involved in elucidating, interpreting, and reporting the memories of others.