Question

How do you think anxiety and stress affect courtroom members perceptions of the reliability or believability of rape victims accounts and testimonies?

Answer 1

Based on the Inverted-U theory by Deffenbacher (1983), one can predict how varying levels of anxiety and stress can impact the accuracy of victims' accounts and testimonies. Cognitive performance is at peak when anxiety and stress levels are optimal. However, when these levels are too high or too low, cognitive performance declines, leading to an inaccurate recollection of specific details of the event. In this case, the perceptions of victims should come under thorough investigation if they were highly anxious and/or stressed during the crime, as it likely to negatively impact the accuracy of their accounts and testimony.