Intoxicated witnesses: Testing the validity of the Alcohol Myopia Theory.

In an assessment of the Alcohol Myopia Theory, the effects of alcohol on an eyewitness’s recall of high and low salience details were investigated. In laboratory study 1, participants watched a staged videoed theft whilst either sober (control or placebo), above (MBAC=0.09%) or below (MBAC=0.06%) the UK drink-drive limit. A week later a free-recall and recognition test were completed. Intoxication was not found to reduce recall accuracy using either recall task. In Study 2, while on a night out participants watched the videoed theft with high (MBAC=0.14%) or low (MBAC=0.05%) BAC’s. A week later the free-recall and recognition test were attempted. High BAC’s were seen to impair recall when memory was assessed through free-recall but not with the recognition test. Neither study found the attention narrowing predicted by AMT using either recall technique, although poor recall for low salience details in all groups may have contributed to this result.