Abstract
Witnessing a crime can be a highly stressful situation, eliciting arousal levels that may affect eyewitness memory performance. In two experiments, participants watched a mock crime with varying arousal intensities (neutral, robbery, and murder), and provided reports after varying retention intervals (immediate testing, 7 days, 14 days or 21 days). Results showed that arousal did not have a significant main effect on eyewitness memory recall. Eyewitness memory performance was stronger for the event with higher arousal only after a 7 days retention interval, but performance was comparable across all arousal conditions in longer retention intervals. Theoretical and practical implications related to the evaluation of eyewitness testimony are discussed.
| Translated title of the contribution | The role of arousal and retention interval on eyewitness memory |
|---|---|
| Original language | Portuguese |
| Article number | e37211 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa |
| Volume | 37 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2021 |
Keywords
- eyewitness testimony
- arousal
- retention interval
- memory
Access to Document
- O Efeito de Carga Enocional - The role of Arousal
SARAIVA, Renan Benigno et al. The Role of Arousal and Retention Interval on Eyewitness Memory. Psic.: Teor. e Pesq. [online]. 2021, vol.37, e37211. Epub Feb 01, 2021. ISSN 1806-3446. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102.3772e37211.