| Abstract [eng] |
Choice blindness is a new and little-studied effect, seen as the inability of people to remember their own choices and to notice the change between intention and outcome. This study implemented an experimental research strategy to investigate whether eyewitnesses notice misinformation in feedback and how choice blindness can affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. The experiment involved 103 participants (78 women and 25 men; mean age 27 years) who were recruited online. The study used an instrument designed to measure choice blindness and a questionnaire designed to collect demographic data from the participants. The results of the study show that choice blindness occurred in 49.1% of the participants and that this effect negatively affects the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. Furthermore, it was found that as choice blindness increases, the participants’ primary belief in the decision made decreases and secondary belief in the decision made increases. This experiment provides useful insights into eyewitness memory. The results show that eyewitnesses can easily be led to believe that they have made certain choices that they have not actually made. It is concluded that the findings of this study not only highlight the fragility of recognising unfamiliar faces, but also have implications in the judicial system. |
