Applied Psychologist, Hugo Münsterberg, was born in 1863 in Berlin, Germany to parents who were of Prussian descent. While growing up, both of his parents were tenacious in ensuring that Münsterberg would end up pursuing a career in the liberal arts since The arts were a booming industry filled with opportunities that were eventful, satisfying, and in some ways, lucrative. When Münsterberg was twelve, however, his mother died as a result of terminal cancer. Although distraught by her passing, Münsterberg became more determined than ever before to fulfill his mother’s wishes for him to pursue an interest in the arts. He completed high school with superior grades in the arts, maths, and sciences and got into Leipzig University in 1883. However, …show more content…
On the witness stand was intended to demonstrate to lawyers that eye-witness testimony was not a valid method of determining the innocence or guilt of an accused individual. Through applied psychological studies involving tests of memory, perception of time, and verbal comprehension, Münsterberg concluded that eye-witness testimony should not be used in court as a source of evidence. This conclusion was based on the finding that memory could easily be forgotten, distorted, or even manipulated; especially if the trial required long periods of time to reach a final verdict (Münsterberg, 1908). On the witness stand then is a significant contribution to help better understanding how delicate the justice system can be and how important it is to ensure that all evidence admitted into a trial is not tampered with or otherwise altered. If that happened, such changes could have a severe impact on how the fate of an individual who may or may not be wrongfully accused of a crime is determined (Münsterberg, 1908). Eye-witness testimony has seen a significant decline since the 1960s, and that was primarily because psychologists and the general public began to give Münsterberg’s book some much-needed attention that it lacked in