Dr. Daniel Bernstein Speaks on Colleague Dr. Beth Loftus
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Synapse
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2012
In anticipation of renowned memory researcher Dr. Elizabeth Loftus’s keynote address at Connecting Minds 2012, student correspondent Scott Jacobsen conducted a brief interview with our very own Dr. Daniel Bernstein, who has worked extensively with Beth Loftus over many years. Some insights to Dr. Loftus and her research are below……
(1) What is Dr. Loftus’s research style? Dr. Loftus tends to ask big questions that have the potential to make real-world contributions. She is very disciplined, working 9-5 six or seven days a week. Dr. Loftus writes almost daily and is extremely productive.
(2) When did you begin collaboration with Dr. Loftus? We started collaborating after I visited her at the University of Washington in December, 2000.
(3) What did you mainly collaborate on with Dr. Loftus? We worked on the consequences of false memory and the malleability of memory.
(4) What is the range of Dr. Loftus’ research? Dr. Loftus works on the malleability of memory. This topic in itself is broad, and Dr. Loftus’ work spans much of this breadth.
(5) Where does she apply her research? Dr. Loftus’ work contributes most directly to eyewitness testimony and law. Her work also applies to implantation of false memory in therapeutic settings.
(6) How did she apply her research to Law? Her seminal work on what is called the misinformation effect in the mid 1970s and subsequent publication of her book, Eyewitness Testimony in 1979, forever changed the way that eyewitness testimony is used in court.
(7) What are the implications of her research in the field of law? It’s simple really. Don’t convict someone based solely on eyewitness testimony!
(8) How did the Law community react to her research? I don’t really know, but I imagine that they were slow to warm to it. The Law community now embraces Dr. Loftus and her work. She regularly appears as an expert witness in court cases involving memory.
(9) What do you consider the most significant implication of her work? Memory is inherently fallible. Trust memory at your peril.
(10) Dr. Loftus recently received an award from the AAAS and gave an acceptance speech. In it she says, “We live in perilous times for science…and in order for scientists to preserve their freedoms they have a responsibility…to bring our science to the public arena and to speak out as forcefully as we can against even the most cherished beliefs that reflect unsubstantiated myths.” How important do you see criticizing “unsubstantiated myths” in “perilous times” for Science? I think that this is excellent advice. Science has a responsibility to “give back” to the communities and cultures that invest in it. Scientists can and should correct myths whenever the opportunity arises.
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