This study finds that self-reported sleep for the night prior to the crime could be an important individual difference variable for eyewitness memory, affecting encoding more than post-encoding processes.
This study finds that self-reported sleep for the night prior to the crime could be an important individual difference variable for eyewitness memory, affecting encoding more than post-encoding processes. The authors conducted three experiments to assess the effect of self-reported sleep duration and quality, and current sleepiness on eyewitness recall for a mock crime and suspect identification. Experiments 1 and 2 looked at pre-encoding sleep on lineups and showups, respectively. Experiment 3 investigated lineups across two days to assess retrieval effects. Participants viewed a mock crime video then answered sleep questions as well as central and peripheral recall questions over the crime. Participants were then randomly assigned to view a fair 6-person target-present (TP) or target-absent (TA) lineup for experiments 1 and 3, or a TP or TA showup for experiment 2. In experiment 3, the recall questions and lineups occurred on day 2, but the sleep questions were asked both days. Decision confidence was provided after the identification procedure. In experiment 3, involving post-encoding self-reported sleep, there were still effects on recall but minimal effects on eyewitness identification (and no effects on discriminability). (Published Abstract Provided)