A2 Psychology at Spalding Grammar School
Resources for OCR Forensic Psychology and Psychology of Sport & Exercise
WITNESS APPEAL
Back in 2007, driving instructor Denise Dawson was robbed while giving a driving lesson. A gang broke her car window and tried to make off with a handbag, her phone and a laptop computer. Mrs Dawson tried to stop them and was punched in the face. But when the case came to court it was thrown out after the judge ruled her evidence too "believable". Judge Jamie Tabor described her as "honest, utterly decent and brave" but thought her "impressive" performance in the witness box could sway the jury. He felt her three-second glimpse of the alleged attacker, 20-year-old Liam Perks, was not enough to ensure a safe conviction. Perks was found not guilty on Judge Tabor's direction. Judge Tabor told the court: "Denise Dawson was a particularly impressive witness because she showed courage, clarity of thought and was undoubtedly honest. The jury may lend more weight to her evidence than her facts allow. You cannot be sure she go it right ... had this been the Archbishop of Canterbury's son, would I have allowed the trial to go on? The answer is no."
This story was picked up by newspapers at the time (for example, The Times, or if you prefer, The Sun) as an example of a foolish judge, but can a witness really be "too believable"?
Your third Independent Study is on Witness Appeal and is divided into three areas:
- Attractiveness of the defendant
- Witness confidence
- Children giving evidence
To help you complete the work, view this PowerPoint slideshow. It will not be enough by itself, however: you'll also need to read through the page linked to each of the bullet points.
ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE DEFENDANT
In Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, young Dorian gets away with a monstrous lifestyle because of his "wonderfully beautiful face", prompting the joke from Lord Henry: "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances". Click the image to visit the Attractive Defendants page. (a) Outline factors in the courtroom that can influence jurors. [10 marks] (b) Evaluate the validity of studying how juries reach a verdict. [15 marks] This PowerPoint slideshow is for your class presentation on Attractive Defendants |
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WITNESS CONFIDENCE
In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, it is the utter conviction of Abigail Williams and the other girls that they have been possessed by the Devil that convinces the people of Salem that there are witches living among them. Click the image to visit the Witness Confidence page. (a) Describe, using examples, a method used to study how juries reach verdicts. [10 marks] (b) Evaluate the use of the experimental method to how juries reach verdicts. [15 marks] This PowerPoint slideshow is for your class presentation on Witness Confidence |
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CHILDREN GIVING EVIDENCE
In the 1985 thriller Witness, Harrison Ford's tough cop must protect a young Amish boy who is traumatised after witnessing a murder. But how reliable are child witnesses and do juries trust them too much or not enough? Click the image to visit the Children Giving Evidence page. (a) Describe one piece of research into the effect witnesses can have on jurors. [10 marks] (b) Evaluate the ethics of research into children in court. [15 marks] This PowerPoint slideshow is for your class presentation on Children Giving Evidence |
Click here to download the Children Giving Evidence proforma |
Links
Visit the Spalding Grammar School website
Search the OCR Psychology A-Level Pages
Go look at the AS Psychology sister-site
