Problems of Forensic Sciences 2020 Vol. 121 (CXXI) 5-19
THE CONTINUED INFLUENCE EFFECT OF MISINFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
Mikołaj BUCZEL, Adam SIWIAK, Malwina SZPITALAK
Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
Streszczenie
The continued influence effect (CIE) is a phenomenon of the continuous influence of misinformation on the inferences of an individual, despite the misinformation being retracted. The aim of this article is to present this phenomenon, compare it to accounts of the post-event misinformation effect (PME) in the Polish literature and indicate the practical implications of research into it. The thirty-year history of research into the continued influence effect, which has investigated its mechanisms and determinants, as well as ways to reduce it, is reviewed. An attempt is also made to organise the nomenclature related to misinformation, focusing on the native meaning of this word. As eyewitness testimonies are prone to distortion and are often retracted or corrected during investigations, various judicial authorities can be exposed to the effects of CIE, such as improper decisions and unfair sentences. Attending to the research on CIE and its forensic context can reveal ways of minimising the effects of the phenomenon.
Słowa kluczowe
Misinformation; Eyewitness testimony; Post-event misinformation effect; Continued influence effect; Forensic psychology.