title: The effect of hypnotically elicited testimony on jurors' judgments of guilt and innocence.
abstract: Survey data from several countries indicate that many people believe that hypnosis may increase the accuracy of an eyewitness's memory; most experimental research, however, suggests that this belief is inaccurate. This study examined whether the belief could influence judgments of guilt and innocence in a simulated criminal trial. The results indicated that British undergraduates were more likely to find a male defendant guilty when told that the testimony against him had been elicited under hypnosis. Results concerning a nonhypnotic memory facilitation technique were found to be inconclusive, and the salience of hypnotically elicited testimony was ruled out as a contributory element.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Wagstaff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vella
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Perfect
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003416:Criminal Law; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D013404:Suggestion; D006113:United Kingdom