Archive

Can We Believe in Our Own Lies?

Can we believe in our own lies? Such a question eventually boils down to the issue of whether lying affects memory. ­­­­­­­This is particularly relevant in the legal arena, where witnesses, offenders, and suspects adopt deceptive strategies in several situations. 

Introduction

In 1995, Binjamin Wilkormiski published a book entitled Fragments: Memories of a Wartime Childhood 1939-1948. In his book,...

Seeing and Believing: Common Courtroom Myths in Eyewitness Memory

When it comes to understanding eyewitness memory, people’s commonsense views are sometimes consistent with contemporary scientific knowledge – but sometimes they are dangerously adrift. This article aims to unravel some of the common myths that appear in the courts, in the news, and in the awareness of the public. On a mid-summer evening in 1982, in a small town in the southern U.S., 24-year-old Susan¹ was walking home, when a man grabbed her, threatened her with a gun, forced her... / more