<P> Psychologists have probed the reliability of eyewitness testimony since the beginning of the 20th century . One prominent pioneer was Hugo Münsterberg , whose controversial book On the Witness Stand ( 1908 ) demonstrated the fallibility of eyewitness accounts , but met with fierce criticism , particularly in legal circles . His ideas did , however , gain popularity with the public . Decades later , DNA testing would clear individuals convicted on the basis of errant eyewitness testimony . Studies by Scheck , Neufel , and Dwyer showed that many DNA - based exonerations involved eyewitness evidence . </P>
<P> Psychologists have probed the reliability of eyewitness testimony since the beginning of the 20th century . One prominent pioneer was Hugo Münsterberg , whose controversial book On the Witness Stand ( 1908 ) demonstrated the fallibility of eyewitness accounts , but met with fierce criticism , particularly in legal circles . His ideas did , however , gain popularity with the public . Decades later , DNA testing would clear individuals convicted on the basis of errant eyewitness testimony . Studies by Scheck , Neufel , and Dwyer showed that many DNA - based exonerations involved eyewitness evidence . </P>
a pioneer in the field of eye witness research
a pioneer in the field of eye witness research
Hugo Münsterberg
Hugo Münsterberg