Stressful situations can lead to memory loss, crime research shows

ANYONE suffering intense physical exertion in a threatening situation lasting just 60 seconds can have their memory seriously damaged, according to a new study of police officers.

Witnesses, police officers and victims of crime suffer loss of memory, recognition and awareness of their environment if they have to use bursts of physical energy in a combative encounter.

This can occur in situations such as an officer chasing a fleeing suspect, according to Lorraine Hope of the University of Portsmouth.

She said that her findings, published in Psychological Science, are a warning of the problems with witness statements to the courts.

She explained: “Police officers are often expected to remember in detail who said what and how many blows were received or given in the midst of physical struggle or shortly afterwards.

“The results of our tests indicate it may be very difficult for them to do this.

“As exhaustion takes over, cognitive resources tend to diminish. The ability to fully shift attention is inhibited, so even potentially relevant information might not be processed.”

The team of researchers tested 42 male and 10 female fit and healthy police officers in Winnipeg, Canada, for the study.