Forensic Psychology: Witness Investigation

Try to solve a crime using nothing but eyewitness evidence

Despite advances in forensic science, eyewitness testimony remains a critical component of criminal investigations. But psychological research has revealed the dangers of relying on this testimony and how careful the police must be when questioning witnesses.

Using videos of real witnesses, from behind the scenes of a police investigation, this course explores the psychology of eyewitness testimony.

You will get the chance to test your own cognitive skills and see if your investigative powers are as good as police officers’, as you try to solve a crime using nothing but eyewitness evidence.

This course is intended for those with an interest in psychology and/or criminal investigation, and does not require any previous experience of studying either subject.

• Introduction to eyewitness psychology
• Introduction
• Eyewitness psychology
• The investigation
• Initial statements
• Witness characteristics and the crime
• DI Bullet takes witness statements
• DS Sund takes witness statements
• Seeing and not seeing
• Inattentional blindness
• Change blindness
• Questioning witnesses
• Interviewing witnesses
• DI Bullet interviews the witnesses
• The cognitive interview
• DS Sund interviews the witnesses
• Making and recognising faces
• Verbal and visual descriptions
• Seeing the whole face
• When face recognition goes wrong
• Visual identification
• Identification evidence
• DI Bullet conducts an identity parade
• DS Sund conducts an identity parade
• Whodunnit?
• DI Bullet’s investigation
• DS Sund’s investigation
• Solving the crime
• Conclusion
• Testing your forensic psychological knowledge
• Looking to the future
• Learning more about forensic psychology