Do cognitive abilities reduce eyewitness susceptibility to the misinformation effect? A systematic review.

ABSTRACT: The fact that memories can be distorted by post-event misinformation has cast considerable doubt over the dependability of eyewitness evidence in legal contexts. However, despite its adverse practical implications, the misinformation effect is likely an unavoidable distortion stemming from the reconstructive nature of episodic memory. Certain cognitive abilities have been reported to offer protection against misinformation, suggesting that mechanisms aside from episodic memory may also be underpinning this type of memory distortion. The purpose of this review was to collate findings of associations between eyewitness misinformation susceptibility and individual differences in cognitive ability in adults aged 18 and over. Nine studies met the eligibility criteria for this review, including

SUBMITTER: Brassil M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11680610 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature