Weapon identification and recall on shoot decisions

This study addressed eyewitness memory and the impact of a shoot or no-shoot decision- making task when comparing rifles from nonrifle replicas. Data was collected from 92 participants randomly selected from an archival dataset of undergraduate students and was considered representative of the multicultural differences within the region. Results indicated that individuals were generally unable to distinguish between a rifle and BB gun. Shoot time was virtually indistinguishable between the two remaining rifles. Memory of the firearm did not influence the decision to shoot or the speed of participant response. Moreover, self-report knowledge of firearms did not influence memory of the firearm. These results are of particular importance to law enforcement and the criminal justice system as they relate directly to eyewitness memory and weapon identification. Additionally, while the area of eyewitness memory and weapon identification has been extensively researched, there is little in the way of specific research for the use of rifles and other large firearms in situations of potential danger to the self or others.