Cognitive Psychology and the Law Cognitive Psychology and the Law Cognitive psychologists study the processes of the mind.
Cognitive psychologists are particularly interested in eyewitness identification .
As an example, there was a landmark trial in which the prosecution's case was based on testimonies of various eyewitnesses. There are many things that can influence eyewitness perception. The first is the initial perception of the incident, such as the lighting and the distance from the crime. Things affecting the initial perception include focus, state of mind, expectations, race, and age. The second factor in eyewitness perception is the fact that memory can be selective.