Process of Perception, Attention, & Memory

Order Description

In the first part of your essay you will examine the basic cognitive processes of perception, attention, and memory. You will be required to explain each of these cognitive processes. You will also discuss how perception and attention might influence memory accuracy. Next, you will consider the important topic of eyewitness testimonies. There are some widely-held beliefs about these sorts of memories, which memory experts have shown to be untrue. For example, one study has shown that 32.9% of people believe that the testimony of one confident eyewitness should be enough to convict a defendant of a crime (Simons and Chabris, 2011). Another study has shown that only approximately 21% of U.S. law enforcement officers are aware that memory confidence is not strongly correlated with memory accuracy (Wise et al., 2011). You will examine these widely-held beliefs about eyewitness testimony. In particular you will consider the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies and discuss how memory confidence relates to memory accuracy.

Source: Simons D. J. & Chabris C. F. (2011) What people believe about how memory works: A representative survey of the U.S. population. PLoS ONE 6(8): e22757. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022757 .

Source: Wise, R. A., Safer, M. A., & Maro, C. M. (2011). What U.S. law enforcement officers know and believe about eyewitness factors, eye witness interviews, and identification procedures. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 488–500.

Requirements for this Assignment:

The guidelines for your paper are as follows:

A title page, introduction with thesis statement and conclusion. Below is a link to help you with your introduction and conclusion:
Explain the basic cognitive processes of perception, attention, and memory. You should also discuss how perception and attention might influence the accuracy of memory. Your discussion should be supported by information from the Reading.
Examine the widely held belief that the testimony of one confident eyewitness should be enough to convict a defendant of a crime. Discuss some of the factors that may influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies. Your discussion should be supported by information from the Reading.
Examine the widely held belief that memory confidence is strongly correlated with memory accuracy. Discuss the relationship between memory confidence and memory accuracy. Your discussion should be supported by information from the Reading.
Your paper should be 2–3 pages, not including the title page or reference page.
Your paper should include a reference to the textbook and at least one additional credible academic resource.
Your paper must be APA formatted, including references, title page, 1” margins on all sides, 12 point font size, and double spacing. Information regarding APA formatting and citation can be found in the Writing Center and should be reviewed thoroughly.
Your paper should use Standard American English including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and complete sentences and paragraphs. Your paper should be free of typographical errors.
Your paper should include a highly developed viewpoint and purpose.
Your paper should demonstrate superior organization. Communication should be highly ordered, logical, and unified.