Electrify your witness - Enhancement of eyewitness memory using non-invasive brain stimulation

This project aims to explore how tDCS, a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, can influence the accuracy and reliability of eyewitness memory. Eyewitness memory plays a crucial role in the criminal justice system, often influencing the outcomes of legal cases. However, eyewitness testimony is known to be fallible and susceptible to various forms of bias and distortion. By investigating the effects of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on eyewitness memory recall, this project aims to enhance our understanding of how memory can be accurately retrieved and potentially improved. This research could lead to the development of new methods to increase the reliability of eyewitness testimony, thereby reducing the risk of wrongful convictions and enhancing the overall fairness and accuracy of the judicial process.

Moreover, the use of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like tDCS holds promise for broader applications in cognitive enhancement and therapeutic interventions. Insights gained from this research could contribute to advancements in neuroscience and psychology, offering potential benefits for individuals with memory impairments due to ageing, neurological conditions, or brain injuries.

Depending on the study outcome and setup, there is an opportunity to publish this research in an international peer-reviewed journal.

Eye witness, memory, brain stimulation.  

The section Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety at the University of Twente has a distinctive and unique profile in the areas of risk perception and risk communication, conflict and crisis management and the antecedents of risky, antisocial and criminal behaviour. It currently includes 16 research staff members and 8 PhD students. We work from both a psychology and an engineering perspective and cooperate with other scientific disciplines, based on the “high tech, human touch” profile of the University of Twente.

Flexible. This internship is a highly recommended (!) precursor for the master's project on the same topic. This internship is open to 1 student.

Please contact the internship coordinator Miriam Oostinga (m.s.d.oostinga@utwente.nl). 

• Haciahmet, C. C., Friehs, M. A., Frings, C., & Pastötter, B. (2024). Anodal tDCS of the left inferior parietal cortex enhances memory for correct information without affecting recall of misinformation. Memory, 32(10), 1371-1380.
• Pergolizzi, D., & Chua, E. F. (2015). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the parietal cortex leads to increased false recognition. Neuropsychologia, 66, 88-98.
• Owusu, B. A. K., & Burianová, H. (2020). Transcranial direct current stimulation improves novel word recall in healthy adults. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 53, 100862.
• Boggio, P. S., Fregni, F., Valasek, C., Ellwood, S., Chi, R., Gallate, J., ... & Snyder, A. (2009). Temporal lobe cortical electrical stimulation during the encoding and retrieval phase reduces false memories. PloS one, 4(3), e4959.
• Alonso, M. A., Díez-Álamo, A. M., Gómez-Ariza, C. J., Díez, E., & Fernandez, A. (2021). Transcranial direct current stimulation over the right anterior temporal lobe does not modulate false recognition. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 718118.
• Friehs, M. A., Greene, C., & Pastötter, B. (2021). Transcranial direct current stimulation over the left anterior temporal lobe during memory retrieval differentially affects true and false recognition in the DRM task. European Journal of Neuroscience, 54(2), 4609-4620.