Over a century of research has demonstrated that eyewitness memory can be flawed and the Court's should carefully evaluate this type of evidence when it is present. Although eyewitness errors may occur, the corpus of research has demonstrated that this type of evidence can still be valuable. As a researcher, my goal is to help better understand the factors that influence eyewitness memory and decision-making and how we can use that knowledge to maximize both the reliability of the evidence that is collected and the accuracy of our evaluations of that evidence after collected.

 

Select Publications

Ross, S. J., Tredoux, C. G., & Malpass, R. S. (2013). Evaluating eyewitness testimony of adults. In I. B. Weiner & R. K. Otto (Eds.), Handbook of Forensic Psychology (4th ed.; pp. 513-559). New York, NY: Wiley. (link to full text)

  • This chapter provides an overview of research on factors that influence eyewitness memory and decision-making and describes a process through which to evaluate this type of evidence. Attorneys and law enforcement agents may find this chapter to be beneficial for informing what to consider when assessing the reliability of eyewitness reports and identification decisions. 

Fisher, R. P., Ross, S. J., & Cahill, B. S. (2010). Interviewing witnesses and victims. In P. A. Granhag (Ed.), Forensic psychology in context: Nordic and international approaches (pp. 56-74). Devon, UK: Willan.(link to full text)

  • This chapter presents the Cognitive Interview and discusses the research comparing this approach with traditional methods. We also discuss the effectiveness of training in this approach. Law enforcement agents and those who regularly conduct interviews with compliant subjects may find this chapter to be very informative.

Malpass, R. S., Ross, S. J., Meissner, C. A., & Marcon, J. L. (2009). The need for expert psychological testimony on eyewitness identification. In B. L. Cutler (Ed.), Expert testimony on the psychology of eyewitness identification. (pp. 3-26). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. (link to full text)

  • In this chapter, we argue the need for Courts to admit expert testimony on eyewitness issues. We also demonstrate how this field of psychology meets both the Daubert and Frye standards and further discuss the role we play as expert witnesses. Attorneys and judges may find these discussions most interesting.