Saturday, 26 September 2009 16:02

Loftus Speaks

Written by Keiron Walsh
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The Innocence Project in the United States has, through DNA testing, led to the release of 242 people wrongfully convicted of a crime. Of these 242 wrongful convictions, 75% were due to faulty eyewitness testimony. In Loftus Speaks, the new DVD from Uniview Worldwide, Elizabeth Loftus explains just how easy it is for the memories of eyewitnesses to become distorted.

This informative lecture by Elizabeth Loftus takes you on a journey through decades of fascinating research illustrated with interesting examples of real life errors in memory.Take the example of Hillary Clinton speaking about a trip to Bosnia: "I remember landing under sniper fire. We just ran with our heads down to get to our base." Clinton was later ridiculed when a film of the event showed her being greeted by children in a peaceful greeting ceremony.

According to Loftus, Hillary Clinton was not 'lying', rather she was experiencing a rich false memory - a memory that is so vivid in sensory detail that it feels lilke a genuine memory even though it is entirely fictitious.

The DVD can be purchased for £49 from Uniview Worldwide

According to Uniview:

This fascinating DVD can be used with a variety of audiences from post 16 students, counsellors and crime and legal departments to individuals with a general interest in Psychology, cognitive sciences, human behaviour and effects of memory.

Content is delivered in an informal yet precise style, with simple navigation to subject specific chapters making it easy to deliver presentations. Material covered includes work on Loftus' ever developing false memory research, including her highly accredited "Lost in the Mall" study. Here she uses material that allows viewers to test their own memory and to understand just how powerful memory manipulation can be.

Viewers will also learn about Loftus' concern regarding the dependence on eyewitness testimony in the justice system, following her professional involvement in a range of legal cases. In addition, the practices of psychotherapists are discussed along with the impact and reliability of repressed memories.

You can see a sample of the video below and you can purchase the full Loftus Speaks DVD by visiting Uniview Worldwide (scroll down to find the DVD)

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Last modified on Saturday, 03 July 2010 12:40

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Keiron Walsh

Keiron Walsh

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