Question

How might false memories be particularly problematic in eyewitness testimony?

A) False memories make eyewitnesses more reliable.
B) False memories can lead to more accurate testimonies.
C) False memories can lead to inaccurate and unreliable testimonies.
D) Eyewitnesses with false memories are often ignored in court.

Answer 1

False memories can be particularly problematic in eyewitness testimony because they can lead to inaccurate and unreliable testimonies.

Step-by-step explanation:

False memories can be particularly problematic in eyewitness testimony because they can lead to inaccurate and unreliable testimonies (C). Eyewitnesses may genuinely believe that their memories are accurate, but their memories have been distorted or influenced by suggestion or misinformation (8.3 Problems with Memory). This can occur when leading questions are asked by interviewers or when external sources provide misinformation that leads to the creation of false memories (The second distortion error is suggestibility).