Did false memory syndrome play a part in the McCann case?

[Robittybob1]

Did false memory syndrome play a part in the McCann case?

"The false memory syndrome: Experimental studies and comparison to confabulations" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143501/

What can we say about this?

[Robittybob1]

https://youtu.be/PB2OegI6wvI
"How reliable is your memory? | Elizabeth Loftus"

If you are not a little disturbed what this researcher tells us you might have a short memory!

[Carana]

Here's an article I'd found interesting on the fallibility of eye witness testimony / false memory recall:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8617945.stm

It took a while to find the actual video as the link was dead:

and here:
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/psychology/misidentification-can-you-identify-the-criminal

[Robittybob1]

it is interesting to see Jane was aware her memories were being altered by the post event information, but she was not able to identify her first memory but just said refer to her first statement.

[Carana]

Some years ago, an event took place that was important to someone and I was asked a series of non-leading questions to see if I had potentially witnessed something. This was about 9-10 months after the event, possibly even a year. As it turned out, I was able to spontaneously recall the details in question (and, at the time, I had absolutely no idea why the person was asking me). I'm not normally terribly observant, but of the two related details in question, there was one detail that was familiar to me and another that I'd found an odd choice.

Now, many years later, I can no longer visualise the details in my mind's eye (the live memory) and can only remember the description that I gave, if that makes any sense. I do still have a live memory of other details (of a more experiential nature), but not of those two details.

[Robittybob1]

Memory is hard to explain.   If things get a bit tricky a witness can just claim they can't remember.  Well that is my paranoia coming through, if they say they can't remember I tend to think they are just saying that rather than explaining what really happened.   

[Carana]

Becky Milne explains the cognitive interview
Updated Friday 9th April 2010

Dr Becky Milne, Principal Lecturer at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth, explains the technique of cognitive interviewing.


http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/psychology/becky-milne-explains-the-cognitive-interview

[Brietta]

In my opinion false memory syndrome played an inordinate amount of influence in Madeleine's case. 

Mr Smith's mistaken identification of Gerry which was subject to exactly the same influences which affected Mr McCluskey's mistaken identification of both Kate and Gerry has become the stuff of internet legend (one has, the other tends to be ignored).

[Mr Gray]

it is interesting to see Jane was aware her memories were being altered by the post event information, but she was not able to identify her first memory but just said refer to her first statement.

I'm sure Jane could recall her initial memory but gave that answer for several reasons

[Carana]

I've never heard a logical explanation as to why Jane would have invented Tannerman...

She states that she was given a cognitive interview, and I posted a link (post #6) to what cognitive interviews involve.

[Miss Taken Identity]

I've never heard a logical explanation as to why Jane would have invented Tannerman...

She states that she was given a cognitive interview, and I posted a link (post #6) to what cognitive interviews involve.

I am not saying Jane didn't see a man carrying a child, she may have done. but what she didn't see was an abductor carrying off Maddie. this came later when someone mentioned abductor- Jane claims she saw it happen.

It is indeed strange that JT passed Gerry and Jez, and they never saw her!

[slartibartfast]

I am not saying Jane didn't see a man carrying a child, she may have done. but what she didn't see was an abductor carrying off Maddie. this came later when someone mentioned abductor- Jane claims she saw it happen.

It is indeed strange that JT passed Gerry and Jez, and they never saw her!

It is even possible she got her time and day wrong. I agree there was too much discussion within the group which IMO led to a lot of statements which combined first hand observation and information gained and extrapolated from those discussions.

[Carana]

I am not saying Jane didn't see a man carrying a child, she may have done. but what she didn't see was an abductor carrying off Maddie. this came later when someone mentioned abductor- Jane claims she saw it happen.

It is indeed strange that JT passed Gerry and Jez, and they never saw her!

Yes, but I've often passed people who were busy chatting when I didn't particularly want to stop and chat for one reason or another and they didn't notice me.

It's not clear if she was wearing purple or not (unless Russ's polar thing was that colour... but no one seems to have asked what colour it was). Jes thought the woman he saw wearing purple was Jane, whether it was her or not isn't known.

She apparenntly hardly knew Gerry at the time, so why would she have wanted to give him an alibi? What evidence or even indication in the files is there that she may have wanted to give herself one?

[Brietta]

The topic is - False memory syndrome - we are straying from it.

[Eleanor]

Too much Opinion as Fact going on.  Please desist.