Re: How Reliable is an eye witness?

hi Cori,

This sounds like fun! Here are a couple of ideas for you.

When I was a child, there was a popular party game used to test our powers of observation. We were presented with a covered tray, on which lay a number of objects. The cover would be removed from the tray for a brief time (10 or 20 seconds) and we would have to try to memorise the objects on the tray (without writing anything down). The tray was then taken away and we had to try to recall as many objects as we could. You could extend this idea by asking specific questions about the objects (their colour and so on).

Another fun idea might be to stage a mock crime. During your presentation, have someone walk across behind you and have someone else run in and steal their bag, or something similar. Then ask the children about the incident - get them to describe the thief and the victim and see how different their accounts are.

I don't know if you are a fan of the spoof IgNobel Prizes, but the winners in psychology this year devised a very amusing experiment which showed that under the right circumstances, people can fail to notice rather obvious things right in front of them - including a woman dressed in a gorilla suit. You can read about their work here and see more details here.

Hope this helps you,
Neil