A lay perspective on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony

To understand more about what laypeople think they "know" about eyewitness testimony, 276 jury-eligible university students were asked to indicate wha t factors they believe affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. In cont rast to the large proportion of eyewitness-memory research that concerns sy stem variables, the lay respondents overwhelmingly generated factors relate d to estimator variables, while system-variable factors such as police ques tioning and identification procedures were rarely mentioned. Respondents al so reported that their own common sense and everyday life experiences were their most important sources of information about the accuracy of eyewitnes s testimony. Not only do these results clarify the need for further researc h on the lay perspective of eyewitness testimony, but they also provide som e insight into the way in which many jurors might approach cases involving eyewitness evidence.