Memory processes in elderly eyewitnesses: What we know and what we don’t know

Research is reviewed on the memory abilities of elderly eyewitnesses. Two major issues are addressed: First, how credible are elderly witness-es? Second, how accurate are they? Despite negative stereotypes regard-ing elderly eyewitnesses, they do not necessarily lack credibility at trial. In terms of their memory performance, older witnesses are as accurate as young adults in many respects, but they are particularly vulnerable to misleading information that is presented after the witnessed event. Fur-thermore, their performance varies depending on the type of information that is sought and the manner in which their memory is assessed. Rec-ommendations are made for improving the reliability of testimony that is offered by elderly eyewitnesses. In recent years there has been growing interest in the eyewitness memory of children, which has resulted in the publication of numerous articles and several books on the sub