Toward a Broader Framework of Eyewitness Identification Behavior

Comments on an article by M. B. Kovera and A. J. Evelo (see record 2021-79725-001). According to the Innocence Project, 63% of wrongful convictions they documented involved mistaken eyewitness identification. Certainly, many of these cases of mistaken identification involve mistakes in memory; however, Kovera and Evelo provide a compelling argument that at least some of these cases may be due to factors that have less to do with memory and more to do with the social context in which eyewitness misidentification occurs. Examination of the cases of wrongful conviction shows other possibilities that further illustrate the importance of social context, congruent with Kovera and Evelo suggestions. Certainly, most cases of wrongful conviction involve mistakes in memory. As such, researchers have made much progress in understanding these mistakes in memory and the social context in which eyewitness identification occurs. These advances have led to many real-world policy changes that help attenuate the problem of wrongful conviction. The authors agree with Kovera and Evelo recent trends toward cognitive approaches in studying eyewitness behavior have made invaluable contributions to the literature. However, as Kovera and Evelo note, the trend away from studying eyewitness identification in its social context may be detrimental to our ability to speak to the full phenomenon. Their analysis coupled with an examination of actual cases suggests moving toward a broader framework for studying errors in identification will help move the field forward. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)