Observational Memory Recall Flashcards

You are shown a street scene image for 25 seconds, then asked 10 minutes later to recall it. Which category of detail is MOST likely to be accurately remembered?

Answer: The general layout and relative positions of major objects

Spatial layout and relative positioning are encoded more durably than fine textual or numerical details.

A colleague tells you what color jacket a suspect was wearing before you write your report. This can compromise your memory report because of:

Answer: Post-event misinformation effect

The post-event misinformation effect occurs when new information received after an event contaminates the original memory.

During a building walkthrough, you have 60 seconds to observe a lobby. Afterward, you are asked how many security cameras were visible. You counted 4, but there were actually 6. This undercount most likely results from:

Answer: Inattentional blindness to ceiling-mounted items

Inattentional blindness causes observers to miss objects outside their focal attention, particularly items in unexpected locations like ceilings.

An officer views a lineup of six individuals after witnessing a robbery. The actual perpetrator is not included. Under pressure to select someone, the officer picks person #3. This error is best prevented by:

Answer: Using a double-blind sequential lineup procedure

Double-blind sequential lineups prevent the officer from knowing who administers the lineup or when it ends, reducing suggestibility.

You observe a person for 10 seconds and later describe them as 'about 5'10" and 180 lbs.' Research shows that eyewitness height and weight estimates are:

Answer: Highly variable and often inaccurate without reference objects

Without reference objects, people's estimates of height and weight are highly unreliable and vary significantly between observers.

After viewing a suspect for 20 seconds under bright sunlight, you later describe the eye color as brown. When the suspect is apprehended indoors, eyes appear hazel. The most likely explanation is:

Answer: Lighting conditions significantly affect perceived eye color

Eye color appearance changes substantially under different lighting conditions, making it one of the least reliable facial features to recall.

An officer must recall the sequence of events in a 30-second incident involving four actions. Which sequence reconstruction technique is most effective for professional memory recall?

Answer: Mental reinstatement of context, then chronological narration

Mental reinstatement of context — mentally returning to the scene — is a validated technique from the Cognitive Interview method that improves sequential recall.