As an avid crime writer, reader or television watcher, do you believe you see everything that is there in front of you?
If police attend an incident and there are multiple witnesses at the scene, you would think you would get corroborating statements, but be careful when writing this, or look out for it if reading or watching it, because very often, those witnesses will give an account that is similar in many ways, but their account will likely be different because we all view the world in a different way.
You would think that what you see is what you see. Your eyes and ears and even sense of smell are accurate, but a lot of it has to do with psychology and where our mind is and what it is focusing on when the incident takes place in front of us. This can distort the whole thing wildly and police and courts are aware of this.
To show you what I mean, just watch this video.
Brilliant isn’t it? I didn’t see it the first time I watched it.
The below video explains why this happens. So if you’re writing crime fiction, bear this in mind and if you’re reading it or watching it, you will now understand why this happens if you come across it.
Fascinating stuff.
Are there any instances you have missed something so completely obvious? Or is there a crime novel or adaptation that you have seen that shows this done really well?
MarinaSofia says
I use this sometimes in my training courses to demonstrate that in research (or doing a corporate project) we only get the answers that we are looking out for and are not opening ourselves up to surprises, the unexpected, new discoveries etc.
Rebecca Bradley says
It’s really fascinating isn’t it. I can see how it would work in training scenarios like that. I love how the mind works. How it can miss something so completely obvious.
MarinaSofia says
Although apparently children are better at spotting the invisible gorilla.
Rebecca Bradley says
Are they? I suppose their minds aren’t as closed down as ours. They are still open and learning….
Margot Kinberg says
This is really interesting, Rebecca! I think it is important to keep in mind that what we see is really impacted by what’s happening in our minds. No two people ever see the same thing (or person, or incident) in the same way. Weaving that into a crime plot in a credible way can be tricky, but I think it’s important.
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly and I think it’s an underused piece of information, especially in procedurals. You often just hear that witnesses say the same thing. It would be easy to have a witness say something different and put a spanner in the works so to speak. Watch this space now 😉
crimeworm says
I’ve watched shows about this, and a group of people all gave different evidence in first, an armed robbery, then a pub fight. People were actually adding stuff in, like “He had a knife!” in the pub fight, when he didn’t – the implications are quite frightening. Eye witness evidence is not as infallible as we all like to think – particularly if you’re the one who saw something – we all think we’re very observant!
bookboodle says
Interesting post Rebecca – I didn’t see the gorilla! 🙂
emaginette says
I did see the gorilla but I only counted nine passes. I’ve witnessed a car accident, I felt I was pretty accurate, but it was more like I could see it happen as one car inched out into traffic. It connected with a passing car. The thing was it had my full attention from beginning to end.
I think with witnesses it depends on their focus during an event. After an event, emotions would peak and I doubt anyone would know exactly what they’d need to focus on for their report.
Excellent post 🙂
Anna from Elements of Writing
FictionFan says
I once was a witness and gave a description of the guy, whom I had seen perfectly for several minutes. I was later called into an identification parade and identified him correctly immediately. The only problem was he looked quite different from how I’d described him! The police assured me that was quite normal, and is partly why they hold id parades even when they have other evidence.
Alex J. Cavanaugh (@AlexJCavanaugh) says
That’s what happens with traffic accidents as well. Everyone sees something just a little different.
mbarkersimpson says
You’re right, it is fascinating how we interpret the world around us and the things we observe – those details we miss. I think in a visual way, which is maybe due to the fact British Sign Language is my second language, and yet I can miss the little things because I’m too focused on what is in front of me! Having said that, I did see the gorilla – my mind focused in on the distraction – the thing that wasn’t supposed to be there 🙂 Great post, and certainly something to remember when writing about my team!
Jacqui Murray says
Those sorts of videos always amaze me–and I always miss the obvious. It does drive the point home that eye witnesses aren’t terribly reliable.