A Comparative Analysis of Eyewitness Testimony Accuracy: Victims Versus Bystanders

Eyewitness testimony is a vital yet fallible component of the criminal justice system. This study investigates differences in eyewitness testimony accuracy between two witness types: victims and bystanders, adding to the scarce literature regarding the subject. Participants were assigned to either the Victim or Bystander Group and participated in a memory test. During the memory test, a staged intruder entered the room and stole either a gift card belonging to the participant (Victim Group) or me (Bystander Group). Following the theft, participants were given an eyewitness testimony survey and photo lineup to assess their memory of the theft and intruder. Results indicated that there is no difference in eyewitness testimony accuracy, t(22) = -0.05, p = 0.48, d = 0.02, or intruder identification accuracy, (n = 24) = 0.51, p = 0.11, between victims and bystanders. Limitations, such as the Victim Group participants’ weak emotional attachment to the gift card, may have influenced the results. However, secondary analyses revealed a significant difference in memory of the intruder’s utterance between witness types, indicating the Bystander Group’s memory of the auditory stimuli were more accurate than the Victim Group’s memory, χ² (n = 24) = 6.769, p = .009. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of eyewitness memory accuracy to help inform the criminal justice system.