Weapon Focus Effect
Definition
The reduced encoding of a perpetrator's face when a weapon is present, attributable to attentional narrowing toward the threat-relevant stimulus (Steblay meta-analysis, 1992).
- Source study
- Steblay meta-analysis, 1992
- Mechanism
- Attentional narrowing toward threat-relevant stimulus
- Affected memory
- Facial encoding of the perpetrator
- Related field
- Eyewitness identification research
Common questions
Does the weapon focus effect mean a witness saw nothing useful?+
No. Attention narrows toward the weapon, not away from the scene entirely; witnesses can still recall the weapon, clothing, or sequence of events accurately while showing weaker facial recognition specifically.
How is weapon focus effect argued in court?+
Defence experts cite it to challenge the reliability of an eyewitness identification made during a weapon-present crime, arguing encoding of the face was degraded even if the witness expresses high confidence.
Related terms
- Cross-Race Effect
- The empirical finding that own-race identifications are more accurate than cross-race identifications (Meissner and Brigham meta-analysis, 2001), with practical implications for lineup...
- Estimator Variables
- Factors present at the time of the crime that affect encoding accuracy but cannot be retrospectively controlled, including weapon focus, cross-race effect,...
- Misinformation Effect
- The incorporation of misleading post-event information into the original memory trace, documented by Loftus and Palmer (1974) and subsequent studies. Distinguished from...
- Post-Identification Feedback Effect
- The inflation of witness confidence, perceived viewing quality, and retrospective memory detail following confirming feedback from an investigator. Documented by Wells and...
- R V. Turnbull Warning
- A mandatory judicial warning in English and Welsh Crown Court proceedings when the case depends substantially on identification evidence, requiring the jury...
- Reconstructive Memory
- The psychological model of memory as a constructive process shaped by schemas, expectations, and post-event information, rather than a fixed recording. Foundational...
- System Variables
- Factors in the identification process that are within the control of the criminal justice system, including lineup administration, instructions, and feedback policies....