PSC 153 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Innocence Project, Fundamental Attribution Error, Implicit Memory
Document Summary
Psc 153 lecture 2 false confessions and interrogations. False confessions about beating and raping a jogger. Police officers estimate suspects confess about 68% of the time. Objective data: 39-48% confess, 13-16% partially admit(involuntarily) Confessions are very influential according to justice brennan and mock juror data supports this. For confessions, there is a 73% conviction rate, and for eyewitness, there is a 59% conviction rate. Can save time and money to avoid trial. Have the potential for coercion likely immoral and possibly illegal. Coerced confession, in theory, should be discounted by jurors. However, clearly coerced confession has a 31% increase in conviction. Priming activation of a cognitive representation increases its accessibility and the likelihood that it will be used. Cannot un-ring a bell inadmissible evidence is almost impossible to ignore. Fundamental attribution error tendency to overestimate dispositional and underestimate situational factors when explaining other people"s behavior. Discounting principle when situational influence on behavior is obvious, internal attribution is less likely.
