Asking the experts: A focus group and review on eyewitness memory in the multicultural context of South Africa

Abstract

Interviewing an eyewitness to a crime is not a simple task. Often the eyewitness and police interviewer come from different cultural backgrounds. These cultural differences may influence the description given of a crime and the interaction between both parties in the interview; miscommunication and the withholding of information may be a result. This is especially relevant in South Africa, where many different cultures co-exist. To provide an overview of cultural factors relevant to this cross-cultural situation, we invited 12 experts from around the world to discuss two research questions specific to the South African context: (1) How do eyewitness reports differ between cultural groups? and (2) How do cultural differences affect the communication between the police interviewer and eyewitness? From the experts’ discussion, central themes emerged relevant to each research question. For question 1, they found: (a) characteristics of the eyewitness report (like specificity and detail), (b) demographic perceptions (about gender and race) and (c) various eyewitness factors (their assumptions and motivations) to be relevant in answering the question. When discussing question 2, experts noted (a) various police factors (such as cultural sensitivity and police perceptions) and (b) the interviewer-eyewitness combination (such as demographic characteristics and interview dynamics) as factors that may affect communication between the parties in the interview. Our findings provide a framework for future research on eyewitness interviews in cross-cultural contexts. They also highlight important factors police interviewers, lawyers and judges should be aware of when an eyewitness is interviewed by someone from a different cultural background. As eyewitness testimony is often a crucial piece of evidence in criminal proceedings, it is imperative that everyone involved in the phases of a criminal prosecution understands cultural differences in eyewitness reporting of crimes and potential pitfalls in cross-cultural communication.