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eyewitness testimonySensory Systems - Coggle Diagram
eyewitness testimonySensory Systems
👁️ Vision
Photoreceptors: Rods (night/dim light) vs. Cones (color/sharp detail).
Adaptation: Dark (rods taking time to adjust to a movie theater) vs. Light (pupils shrinking).
Depth: Binocular Disparity (eyes seeing different angles to map 3D space).
👂 Hearing: Pinna funnels sound ➔ Tympanic Membrane vibrates ➔ Cochlea/cilia convert to brain signals.
🖐️ Touch: Cutaneous (skin pressure/temp) & Proprioception (muscle/joint sensors for body position).
👅👃 Smell & Taste (Chemical Senses)
Taste Map Myth: Tongue regions are not restricted to specific tastes.
Flavor: Combined taste + smell (💡 Pinched nose test: candy gives only basic taste without smell).
Anosmia: Complete loss of smell.
🎨 Color Vision Theories
Trichromatic: Cones prefer Red, Green, and Blue wavelengths.
Opponent-Process: Cells process opposing pairs (Red-Green, Blue-Yellow, Black-White).
💡 Example: Staring at a colored shape leaves a reverse-color afterimage on a blank screen.
[THE MISINFORMATION EFFECT]
🧪 Core Definition
Post-event incorrect information contaminates/corrupts your memory [cite: 20]
🚗 Classic Experiment Example: Loftus, Miller, & Burns (1978)
Participants watch a car hit a pedestrian [cite: 18]
Asked a leading question about a "Yield sign" [cite: 18]
Result: Many falsely remembered a yield sign when it was actually a "Stop sign" [cite: 19]
🗣️ Social Contamination (Co-Witness Discussion)
Witnesses talk to each other post-event [cite: 25]
Reinforce common errors and blend memories into a distorted mix [cite: 25, 26]
Data Rule: Accuracy falls from 79% (no discussion) to 34% (after discussion) [cite: 29, 30]
🛑 Legal Pitfall Example: Leading Questions
Asking "Can you identify the perpetrator?" implies the criminal IS in the lineup [cite: 22, 23]
[EVIDENCE-BASED LINEUPS]
📸 Photo Spreads Structure
Contains 1 Police Suspect [cite: 34]
Contains 6-8 "Foils" or "Fillers" who match the same description [cite: 34]
⚠️ Common Witness Errors
Choosing an innocent foil [cite: 34]
Failing to choose the actual culprit when they are present [cite: 34]
🛡️ Systemic Solutions & Reforms
Double-blind lineups (the officer testing doesn't know who the suspect is)
Better, non-leading interview techniques