Memory

When spectating on a court case one can see the possible effects of memory distortion. Lawyers are required to be extremely careful when asking questions, interviewing eye witnesses, and assuring the fact their witnesses memories have not been distorted. In class we discussed the ease in which a person's memory can be distorted. A person can skew a persons answers to questions based on the wording of their questions. In an experiment constructed by Elizabeth Loftus subjects answers about the same accident could have been different because of the word used to describe it, in her case smashed versus tapped. This can be extremely helpful, or detrimental to a lawyer when trying to defend his client. The lawyer can word his questions in a way that causes the witnesses memory to be distorted. There is also the idea that if a lie is repeated enough times, or if a person tells themselves something enough times they begin to believe it as fact. This could effect a case in multiple ways. If the jury has access to media that constantly repeats their opinion as to the guilt of the defendant they could potentially conclude in a different, incorrect result. It is important for a person to do their best to focus on the facts and not the ways in which people are trying to change them.