Can expert testimony and demonstrations influence juror perceptions of witness inattentional blindness?

Witnesses may experience inattentional blindness (IB), failing to notice crimes occurring when focusing elsewhere. Witnesses who experience IB may be perceived negatively by jurors. The current studies aimed to determine whether expert testimony and demonstrations of IB can improve perceptions of witness IB. In two experiments, some participants completed a demonstration prior to reading a trial transcript containing the testimony of two witnesses (one of whom experienced IB). In both studies, some participants then read the testimony of an expert witness on the topic of IB within the trial. The findings revealed that the witness who experienced IB was perceived as less credible than the witness who saw the crime. Neither expert testimony nor demonstrating IB influenced this. These findings suggest that safeguards may not protect innocent witnesses who have experienced IB from legal charges.