Final answer:
Sam's testimony in a robbery case relies on his construction of memory, which can be fallible due to suggestibility and misinformation, affecting the reliability of eyewitness testimony.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sam is asked to testify in a court hearing as an eyewitness to a robbery. His testimony is relying on his construction of memory and the process of recalling the event. In a courtroom setting, the jurors often place significant weight on eyewitness testimony.
However, it is essential to recognize that memory can be misleading, and testimony can be unreliable due to suggestibility, misinformation, or the misinformation effect. When deliberating on eyewitness accounts, one should be aware of potential issues with identification procedures, the influence of suggestions, and the flexibility of memory, as highlighted by the pioneering work of Elizabeth Loftus on memory construction and the fallibility of eyewitness accounts.