Oct
26
2017
October 26, 2017
Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology and social behavior, has had a profound effect on how eyewitness memories are treated in the courtroom. Memories, Loftus's research has found over the decades, are often not reliable. They can be distorted, manipulated or even completely manufactured. Her studies are a staple of psychology textbooks.
"People in general have misconceptions about how memory works," Loftus told Knowable.
She also has been unafraid to court controversy, testifying in controversial cases for notorious defendants.