Temporal Dynamics of Eyewitness Memory

Evidence for a Multiphase Forgetting Curve From Minutes to Months

Bibliographic Data

ID22416801
AuthorsStephen Farmer (0000-0002-5876-253X, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The Open University Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire UK, corresponding author), Jim Turner (0000-0001-8103-5202, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The Open University Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire UK), Helen Kaye (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The Open University Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire UK)
Year2026
Volume40
Issue3
Publication date2026-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueApplied Cognitive Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0888-4080 • E-ISSN: 1099-0720
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/acp.70204
OpenAlexW7160522423
LanguageEN
References cited39

Eyewitness testimony is central to criminal investigations, yet facial identification accuracy varies as a function of retention interval. This study examined eyewitness identification performance across delays ranging from 1 min to 90 days in two experiments. Participants viewed a target face and later completed lineup identification tasks following varying intervals. Results revealed a non‐monotonic, three‐phase forgetting trajectory: a rapid decline within the first hour, a period of relative stability between 1 h and 1 day and a more gradual decline extending to 90 days. The early and late phases were well described by logarithmic functions, whereas the intermediate phase showed a near‐zero gradient, indicating a temporary plateau in performance. The primary contribution of this work is a detailed characterisation of the shape of the forgetting function across forensically relevant timescales, with practical implications for the timing and evaluation of eyewitness identification evidence.

Eyewitness identification · Forgetting · Retrieval-induced forgetting · Deception detection and forensic psychology · Face Recognition and Perception · Memory Processes and Influences

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