Eyewitness Testimony Accuracy Factors

This section analyzes the Assertion (A) and Reason (R) regarding eyewitness inaccuracy.

Assertion (A) Analysis

Assertion (A): Inaccuracy among eye-witness occurs with the passage of time between witnessing an event and testifying about what was seen and heard.

• Memory recall naturally degrades over time, a phenomenon known as memory decay.
• This decay increases the likelihood of inaccuracies when recalling events after a significant time lapse.
• Conclusion: Assertion (A) is true.

Reason (R) Analysis

Reason (R): Witnesses are always exposed to misleading post-event information from police, news stories and statements made by others.

• This refers to the "misinformation effect," where external information influences a witness's memory.
• Sources like media reports and police questioning can introduce inaccuracies into a witness's account.
• This exposure is a common factor affecting eyewitness memory.
• Conclusion: Reason (R) is true.

Relationship Between Assertion (A) and Reason (R)

The core task is to determine if Reason (R) correctly explains Assertion (A).

• Assertion (A) focuses on the passage of time as a cause of inaccuracy.
• Reason (R) identifies post-event information as a contributor to inaccuracy.
• The time interval mentioned in (A) allows for increased exposure to the post-event information described in (R).
• This misleading information can distort the original memory, especially as the memory itself weakens over time.
• Therefore, Reason (R) explains a key mechanism through which the inaccuracy mentioned in Assertion (A) occurs over time.
• Conclusion: Reason (R) is a correct explanation for Assertion (A).

Final Answer Derivation

Both statements (A) and (R) are factually correct regarding eyewitness testimony.

• The increasing inaccuracy over time (A) is significantly driven by the incorporation of misleading post-event information (R) during that time lapse.

Thus, the option where both are true and (R) is the correct explanation for (A) is selected.