Helen Paterson, an associate professor in forensic psychology at the University of Sydney, received a Eureka Prize on Thursday night in recognition of her research on memory accuracy among witnesses to repeated or ongoing events, particularly in cases of domestic and family violence.
Paterson’s work demonstrates that memories of repeated incidents differ significantly from recollections of single events. Witnesses to ongoing violence tend to report general patterns and consistent details across episodes rather than specific information about individual incidents, and may occasionally conflate different events. However, the researcher emphasizes that despite these inconsistencies in their accounts, the underlying details reported by such witnesses tend to be accurate regarding whether the events actually occurred.
A key concern highlighted by Paterson’s research involves how courts and juries perceive repeated-event witnesses. Her findings indicate that victims of repeated violence are often viewed as less honest, less competent, and less credible than witnesses to single events, a perception she describes as concerning given how victimization patterns actually correlate with testimony accuracy. In legal proceedings, defense strategies frequently exploit such inconsistencies to challenge a witness’s overall credibility, despite the scientific understanding of how memory functions for repeated experiences.
The Eureka Prize, established in 1990 by the Australian Museum, recognizes achievements by Australian scientists and science communicators across 19 categories. The award ceremony took place at Sydney town hall. Paterson expressed hope that the recognition will contribute to better support and belief in victim-survivors of domestic violence, noting that such individuals often lack adequate encouragement and credibility in the justice system and broader society.
Other recipients of this year’s prizes included researchers addressing genetic discrimination in insurance, melanoma detection advances, marine forecasting technology, and recovery processes for materials from solar panels.
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