The Effects of Type of Recall on Memory Accuracy in an Eyewitness Case Vignette

Memory and recall play an essential role in determining convictions in cases of eyewitness testimony. Eyewitnesses can appear confident in their statements, yet one’s memory and recall of a witnessed event can become distorted or manipulated in the process given that it is highly susceptible to various errors, biases, and misleading information such as suggestive questions. The purpose of this study was to further examine how two types of recall (i.e., cued and free) effect eyewitness testimony. In this study, 43 participants read a hypothetical case vignette of a murder crime scene; they were then randomly put into either a cued recall or free recall group. All participants were asked a series of suggestive questions pertaining to the crime vignette in order to measure and compare memory accuracy and confidence ratings between the two recall groups. The findings of this study indicated that while there was no significant difference between the number of details remembered from the crime vignette by the two recall groups, participants in the cued recall group made more mistakes than participants in the free recall group. Participants in the cued recall group were also slightly more likely to say “yes” to the suggestive questions than participants in the free recall group. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that cued recall may not take precedence over free recall when assessing memory in the context of eyewitness testimony, despite a vast amount of literature highlighting the opposite, yet some studies have suggested the same

Outcome probability versus magnitude: When waiting benefits one at the cost of the other

Citation: Young, M. E., Webb, T. L., Rung, J. M., & McCoy, A. W. (2014). Outcome Probability versus Magnitude: When Waiting Benefits One at the Cost of the Other. PLOS ONE, 9(6), e98996. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098996Using a continuous impulsivity and risk platform (CIRP) that was constructed using a video game engine, choice was assessed under conditions in which waiting produced a continuously increasing probability of an outcome with a continuously decreasing magnitude (Experiment 1) or a continuously increasing magnitude of an outcome with a continuously decreasing probability (Experiment 2). Performance in both experiments reflected a greater desire for a higher probability even though the corresponding wait times produced substantive decreases in overall performance. These tendencies are considered to principally reflect hyperbolic discounting of probability, power discounting of magnitude, and the mathematical consequences of different response rates. Behavior in the CIRP is compared and contrasted with that in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART)

More lightning in the hand : a case study of the security vulnerabilities of the Osoyoos Port of Entry at the Canada-US Boundary Line

The purpose of my research was to find answers to the principal research question: “What are the security vulnerabilities of the Osoyoos port of entry, particularly in relation to human trafficking/smuggling and terrorist incursions?” My research sample included eight security experts, specifically, six participants and two collaborators from the local security community in the South Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. The methodology used in my research was a single case study with a two-step approach and an emphasis on qualitative inquiry. Data analysis involved ‘theoretical’ thematic analysis method using three theories. The historical overview provides a historical analysis of border security (and associated security practices and technologies), the Canada-US border, and the Osoyoos port of entry. It also discusses Canadian border security and the intervention of neo-liberalism, the ranking of transnational security threats, Canada’s strategic tradition, and the implications of the changing global threat environment for Canadian national security. Findings reveal that the main security vulnerabilities at the Canada-US border in the South Okanagan region are a robust criminal infrastructure and an under-resourced security community. The findings also reveal that there are many factors that inform and influence Canadian border security policy. Implications for national and public security include the development of high-quality local intelligence, vigilance in analyzing the spatial trends of crime and terror groups, “more predictable and cost-effective screening processes at ports of entry,” and realistic assessments of the resources necessary for a layered security strategy. Recommendations point to the development of high-quality intelligence products, the reinstatement of border resources, and greater specialization of border security personnel.Graduate Studies, College of (Okanagan)Graduat

Defence Engagement (Health) between the UK and Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998

This paper describes the range of Defence Engagement (Health) (DE(H)) activities between Northern Ireland and Ireland following the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998. Although the Agreement made provision for cross-border cooperation in health, the Omagh bombing of August 1998 energised the discussion to provide greater co-ordination of future responses to mass casualty events. The paper describes these DE(H) activities at the Strategic, Operational and Tactical levels to show the integration across these levels and between the agencies of both governments. The paper shows how a DE(H) programme can have a successful strategic effect by finding topics of mutual interest that can bring together two countries in order to provide an effective health and social care provision. This paper forms part of a special issue of BMJ Military Health dedicated to Defence Engagement (.</p