Eyewitness Memory Errors Under High Stress

Abstract

Eyewitness testimony remains a central component of criminal investigations and court proceedings, yet cognitive psychology research consistently demonstrates that memory is highly fallible, especially under life-threatening or emotionally intense conditions. High stress impairs encoding, narrows attentional focus, introduces perceptual distortion, and increases susceptibility to misinformation. Using theoretical models and hypothetical experimental data, this paper examines how physiological arousal, weapon focus, fear-based attentional narrowing, and post-event distortion cause inaccurate eyewitness recall. A cognitive-physiological framework is proposed for evaluating eyewitness credibility and improving forensic procedures.