Can Virtual Reality Help Us Understand Eyewitness Testimony?

 Eyewitness testimony is a cornerstone of criminal justice, but it's not always reliable. Witness memory can be surprisingly faulty, influenced by stress and question phrasing. Psychologists are constantly looking for better ways to understand eyewitness experiences, and a new study by Glomb and colleagues (2023) suggests virtual reality (VR) might be a game-changer. 

This study compared how people responded to a crime scene filmed: a traditional video and a VR experience. The researchers found that VR made people feel more immersed and "present" in the scene. They also felt a stronger sense of transportation, as if they were there witnessing the crime.

Here's where Things Get Interesting

Glomb and colleagues (2023) found some interesting results:

VR and Guilt: People who watched the VR scene felt more guilty afterward. The researchers suggest this might be a "vicarious guilt," like they could have somehow stopped the crime.

Screen vs. VR Emotions: Surprisingly, people who watched the video on a screen reported feeling more anger and hatred towards the perpetrators. The researchers offer a few reasons for this. Ma
Focusing on a limited screen view intensified negative emotions, while VR's broader view allowed for more nuanced feelings.

Limitations and the Road Ahead

The study had limitations. The sample size was small, and they couldn't compare VR to a real-life scenario. Still, the findings are promising for using VR to study eyewitness testimony. Here's what the  Glomb and colleagues (2023) propose for future research:

1. VR vs Real Life: Studies comparing VR to real-life situations would strengthen the case for VR's ecological validity (how well it reflects real-world experiences).
2. Bigger Studies, Better Data: More participants would produce more statistically robust results.
3. Capturing Surprise: Using methods that measure surprise could help researchers understand how VR evokes emotional responses.
4. Deeper Dives: Going beyond multiple-choice answers and allowing participants to describe their feelings in their own words would provide richer data on VR's emotional impact.
5. VR and Pleasantness: Investigating if the inherent enjoyment of VR itself affects emotional responses is crucial.

Based on their study's results, Glomb and colleagues (2023) have suggested that VR can revolutionize understanding eyewitness testimony. By creating a more realistic experience, VR could help us improve the accuracy of eyewitness accounts and ultimately strengthen the justice system. As VR technology develops, so will our ability to unlock the secrets of human memory and perception.

References

Glomb, K., Piotrowski, P., & Romanowska, I. (2023). It is not real until it feels real: Testing a new method for simulation of eyewitness experience with virtual reality technology and equipment. Behavior Research Methods. [Review of It is not real until it feels real: Testing a new method for simulation of eyewitness experience with virtual reality technology and equipment. Behavior Research Methods.]. Behavior Research Methods. Research Gate. http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02186-2