The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-07
New York independently

Seeing is believing" so uns the
old adage. We sometimes doubt
what We hear and with reason, but
we are quite sure that u eyes are
good witnesses and no not question
what they show VI. But now comes
the crucible of the experiment to test
the reliability of our everyday exper-
fences and to show that there is very
little indeed Of which we have abso-
Lutte and certain knowledge.
The tests ordinarily used in these
experiments are of two kinds. The
first Is known as h event experiment
A carefully prepared scene is enact
ed before a witness and either imme.
diately or some time after the event
he is asked to recall what he has
seen. The event test has been less
often used than the picture test. In
this latter test a picture representing
a common scene is shown to the sub
ject for a brief period, after which
he describes what he has sci
The test was first demonstrated in
America at Clark university in Sep
TENDER, 1909. by the pioneer in this
field. Prof. William Stern Of the
University of Breslau. A boy and a
the Worcester schools were selected
as subjects. Each was shown sepa-
rately for the psriod Of a minute a
colored picture entitled THE Bauer
stube."
This picture shows the interior of a
German peasants home. Among 9TH
er details 10 seen a table in the fore
ground at which a man and a boy are
seated. while a woman is standing,
evidently serving them. The man has
removed his coat and his bright red
,.A.k l1 4l>~-N, -~~--l l.. To- NJ
woman wears a brilliant red skirt oveI
which is a blue-green apron. Nearby
is a cradle of the same striking blue
green as the apron.
Had not the audience that witness.
ed the demonstration been able to fol-
low the details of the testimony by
means OF a reproduction Of the pic
ture thrown by a lantern on a screen
at the back of the children they
would have been impressed with the
remarkable c%learness and apparent &C.
curacy Of the testimony, particularly
with reference to a certain cupboard
foot Of the bed, This cupboard was
described infinitely with substantial
agreement as to the details. Yet there
was no cupboard in the picture and. no
piece of furniture hat in any way re-
sembled a cupboard. The fiction of
the cupboard was developed by a few
suggestive questions ingeniously put.
such as the following: I'm there a
cupboard in the room?" (The reply
drawers does it have?"
The writer has himself carried on
this identical experiment with a score
of subjects, both adults and children
and has not found one who could give
Q completely accurate description of
what he has seen.
Many witnesses do not take the
trouble to accurately distinguish be.
tween that which they exactly know
and that which they vaguely believe.
They belong to the type of persons
who are always ready TO cash in their
imagination for actual fact. and they
are quite sure as to the differ.
ence.
Witnesses not only follow sugges-
lions both on and of the stand, but
many readily yield to the temptation
to show of and appear smart. They
often try to please the questioner and
strive to prove that they know what
they are talking about. A skillful at
torney alvays tages advantage Of
this amiable but dangerous weakness
and the result is that he often gets
Just the thing that he 10 after by a
little flattery. This method when en-
ployad with children. always leads to
q distortion Of the truth.
While there is no absolute remedy
for all these errors In reporting there
are cetain obvious pecautions that may
be taken to reduce them to mini.
mum. Perhaps the most important
Of all Is to get the witness as soon att.
er the event - possible. Questions
asked should always be by some dis.
interested person. Such a one might
have an oficial court position aud be
specially designated to conduct the ex.
animation. The error should not be
made of %supposing that the police fur
nish q ~colorless medium for present.
ing the facts. They generally have the
attitude Of proving the accused guilty.
Through the third degree" and by
milder methods they constantly sug-
gest what they have assumed to be
true.
Then after the police come the law
yers who set up the cas- according to
their various interests while At the
trial the presiding Justice 10 often
more interested in the legal techni-
calities than In the mere facts In the
case. In all Of this somehow the
plain. straightforward truth 10 apt to
be lost sight of and Justice mtscarfy.
The day may not be far distant when
Ia psychological expert shall be attach.
cd to every law court.
It woud be the duty Of the psx.