Factors Impacting the Reliability of Eyewitnesses: Field IDs, photospreads, and the complications of social media

Trent Terrell |

Trent Terrell has been a professor of psychology at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, TX since 2008. He has published numerous papers on eyewitness memory and eyewitness identification.

On-Demand: February 20, 2023

Factors Impacting the Reliability of Eyewitnesses: Field IDs, photospreads, and the complications of social media

$95.00 1 hour CLE

MCLE Credit Information:

Select Your State Below to View CLE Credit Information

Can't Decide Which CLE Program?

Access All
myLawCLE Programs
Only $395^yr

Annual Subscription includes access to:

500+ Live CLE Webinars
National Hot Legal Topics
New Laws and Regulations
State Specific Programs
All Formats: Live, Replay, & On-Demand

Subscribe Today

Program Summary

The Science of Eyewitness Memory is a fascinating field of study that looks at how reliable a person’s memory can be when it comes to identifying someone. It is important to understand the limitations of human memory, such as how quickly details can be forgotten and how easily memories can be distorted. Research has identified a number of factors that can affect the reliability of an eyewitness identification, such as poor lighting, stress levels, and prior knowledge about the suspect. Case examples of field identifications have been used to illustrate how these factors can influence the accuracy of an eyewitness ID. With the rise of social media, experts are also exploring the potential for eyewitness identifications to be based on seeing a person’s face in a photo or video on social media. This adds another layer of complexity to the science of eyewitness memory.

Key topics to be discussed:

A Quick Recap of The Science Of Eyewitness Memory
- Limitations of Human Memory
- Factors known to limit Eyewitness ID reliability
Field Identifications with case Examples
A discussion of “Social Media” IDs

Date: February 20, 2023

Closed-captioning available

Speakers

Trent Terrell

Trent Terrell has been a professor of psychology at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, TX since 2008. He has published numerous papers on eyewitness memory and eyewitness identification. Trent has testified as a memory expert in over 40 criminal cases in Texas, and consulted on over 130, ranging from petty theft to capital murder. He has given CLEs on eyewitness memory to the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the National District Attorneys Association in Houston, and the Center for American and International Law in Plano, TX.

Trent has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Neuroscience, and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, all from Baylor University. He lives in Temple, TX with his wife Rosemary and their three children.