Imagine you are serving as a juror in a courtroom. In this scenario, a bank robbery has occurred, you are being asked to listen to various witnesses' testimonies, and then evaluate the validity of their statements. In this context, describe what psychological phenomenon you are likely observing, and how it would impact the witnesses' memories.

1) A witness describes being at a restaurant, having lunch with their friend, when they saw the news about the robbery on the news. They felt very shocked about it, as it was their bank being robbed. The person confidently describes, in vivid detail, that they were eating a salad, while their friend was having soup. They then recall going home and checking their bank account, and tell the court precisely how much money they lost. However, video evidence brought out later shows that the person was actually eating a pizza by themselves in the restaurant on the day the news aired.

a) What phenomenon (or form of memory) is this witness an example of?

b) How did the phenomenon impact their memory?

2) A second witness describes hearing about the robbery many, many times in the days following the event. The news reports repeatedly described, based on eyewitnesses, that the robber fled the scene in a black and white stripped t-shirt. However, after video evidence was observed, the news later corrected their story. In the corrected version, they said that the robber was, in fact, wearing a blue and green stripped sweater. During their testimony, the witness states that they know the defendant is truly guilty, as they are known to own several black and white stripped t-shirts.

a) What phenomenon is this witness an example of?

b) How did the phenomenon impact their memory?

3) Another witness was on the scene, watching the criminal walk away calmly with two bags full of cash. Shortly thereafter, the police question them, asking "Did you see them run off with the money? Which direction did they sprint off in?" A week later, during the trial, the witness describes seeing the robber jog quickly down the street with the cash (video from a street camera shows the entire exchange, from the witnessing to the questioning, so you know the truth).

a) What phenomenon is this witness an example of?

b) How did the phenomenon impact their memory?

4) A fourth witness was in the bank when the robbery occurred. They describe being terrified as the robber, dressed in a red button-up shirt, pulled an assault rifle from a duffle bag, and pointed it at the bank teller. They go on to say that the bank teller grabbed their hat in fear as the robber fired several warning shots into the ceiling before getting the money and leaving. Security footage showed later that the robber did indeed pull a gun, but it was a handgun, not an assault rifle. Furthermore, the robber was wearing a blue and green sweater, and the bank attendants do not wear hats during work.

a) What phenomenon is this witness an example of?

b) How did the phenomenon impact their memory?

5) As the final witness takes the stand, they describe what happened on the day of the robbery. They were working at the bank, and saw the robbery occur, but only saw their face for a moment, so they didn't get a good look. Later that day, the police brought them in to the station, asked them to look at a line of suspects, and point out who the robber was. After they hesitantly pointed out the now-defendant, the officers thanked them for their help, and mentioned that the witness "did a great job helping them catch the bad guy." Now, on the day of the trial, the witnesspoints to the defendant and confidently says, "They're the robber. I'm sure of it!"

a) What phenomenon is this witness an example of?

b) How did the phenomenon impact their memory?