Dr Mitchell G Longstaff

Researchers in cognitive and forensic psychology have long been interested in the impact of individual differences on eyewitness memory. The sex of the eyewitness is one such factor, with a body of research spanning over 50 years that has sought to determine if and how eyewitness memory differs between males and females. This research has significant implications across the criminal justice system, particularly in the context of gendered issues such as sexual assault. However, the findings have been inconsistent, and there is still a lack of consensus across the literature. A scoping review and analysis of the literature was performed to examine the available evidence regarding whether sex differences in eyewitness memory exist, what explanations have been proposed for any differences found, and how this research has been conducted. Through a strategic search of seven databases, 22 relevant articles were found and reviewed. Results demonstrated that despite the mixed nature of the methodologies and findings, the research suggests that neither males nor females have superior performance in the total amount of accurate information reported, but rather that females may have better memory for person-related details while males may perform better for details related to the surrounding environment. There was also consistent evidence for the own-gender bias. There was some consensus that differences in selective attention between males and females may underlie these sex differences in eyewitness memory. However, none of the studies directly tested this suggested attentional factor, and thus future research is needed to investigate this using a more systematic and empirical approach.

Witness memory can be affected by individual differences and event-related factors. This study examined sex differences in witness memory and associated differences in perceptions and feelings in a neutral but potentially threatening event context. One hundred fifteen participants (77 female, mean age 39.7; 38 male, mean age 40.5) completed an online experiment where they viewed a short point of view recording of a person walking around a building they were helping renovate. The person unexpectedly encountered a stranger holding an object, who was later revealed to be either male or female. After this encounter, the video paused, and the participants answered questions after this and at the end. Female participants were more accurate than males for stranger related details and less accurate than males for details related to the surroundings. For females, this was accompanied by greater anxiety and perceptions that the stranger was threatening, and a more accurate perception of the sex of the stranger. Results are discussed in terms of individual differences, social/developmental and evolutionary factors.