Page 70 - Forensic News Journal Jan Feb 2018

The Validity of Eyewitness Accounts - What You See is What You Think!

of forensic hypnosis. In- venient to throw hypnoti- between clinical psycholo-

deed, even today there are cally enhanced testimony gists and forensic hyp-
several respected clinical citing the Frye Test, which notists still exists. One
psychologists who have is used to prevent the charge the psychologists

added their voices to the admissibility of polygraph make is that forensic hyp-
skeptics. Unfortunately, test results. The Frye test notists are usually ill-

some of my classmates was used to lump hypno- equipped to handle abre-
have seen some of these sis as “new and unproven actions. To the contrary,
articles and come to the technologies.” The ques- the truth is that most of the

unfounded opinion that tion of confabulations was hypnotists are police offi-
hypnotically refreshed not directly ruled upon. cers who routinely handle

memories are inaccurate more abreactions in a year
(as compared to other Another factor was that than most psychologists
memories) and therefore the clinical psycholo-

inadmissible in the courts. gists were ruining
Unfortunately, this is far hypnotic interviews

from being true. because they had a
difficulty differentiat-
After the 1950’s there was ing between therapy

a trend for courts to reject and a forensic in-
hypnotically refreshed terrogation. There

memories. Basically, they were several cases
first misunderstood hyp- in a row in Alabama, for do in a whole career. Nev-
nosis. Until the late 1950’s instance, where such tes- ertheless, I attribute much

when the American Medi- timonies were thrown out of psychologists’ pseudo-
cal Association and the because the psycholo- opinions against forensic

American Psychological gist used techniques that hypnotist as due more to
Association, hypnosis was led the courts to feel like this professional rivalry
the domain of stage opera- they were too suggestible. than to scientifically de-

tors and fringe medical Therefore, once experi- rived opinions.)
and psychology practi- enced police investigators

tioners. When legitimate began being trained as Note that even in Alabama
psychologists began per- forensic hypnotists, the while rejecting hypnoti-
forming forensic hypnosis trend towards accepting cally enhanced memories

interviews, courts around such testimony changed for years, courts recog-
the nation found it con- drastically. (The rivalry nized the use of hypnosis

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