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Observations Part 2

+Aim, Learning Target, & Agenda

Aim: What makes someone a good observer?

Learning Target: I can express the qualities that makes someone a good

observer.

Agenda: Do Now Mini Lesson Observation Activity

+Power of Observation

Video Experiment

Problem

A man is on trial for robbing a convenience store, and several witnesses report seeing him at the scene. During the trial, the defense sets up an experiment to discredit the eye-witness testimony. See how you do on this experiment.

Experimental Video

While you are watching this movie, count the number of times the team in white passes the ball to each other.

Count silently to yourself and make no comments during the movie.

http://viscog.beckman.uiuc.edu/grafs/demos/15.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

Movie Debriefing

How many of you saw something strange during the movie?

Background

Video was made as part of an experiment designed to test people’s “inattentional blindness”

In the original study at Harvard, only 42% of the people noticed the gorilla walking through the scene

This activity illustrates the unreliability of eye-witness testimony

Witnesses vs. Physical Evidence

Most witnesses do not intentionally lie on the witness stand

Human observation is limited by memory, suggestion, and interpretation

Memories can be confused or altered, but physical evidence stays the same

Spot the Difference

Problem

You’ve discovered a problem with the crime scene photos from a recent case. Someone has tampered with the crime scene. See how many differences you can spot between the two photographs of the same crime scene.

How many differences can you spot?How many differences can you spot?

Did you find 5 differences?Did you find 5 differences?

I-Witness

+Problem

You were the principle crime scene investigator on a case two years ago.

It is now time for you to testify in court about your findings.

The defense attorney challenges the accuracy of your testimony and implies that you observational skills are not so great.

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If he can show the jury you are not good at spotting details, he might have a chance of getting his client off.

It is often the case in real life situations that the credibility of expert witness testimony is challenged.

The thoroughness with which they do their jobs is critical.