Prof Richard Kemp
Understanding how memory shapes identification—and why it can go wrong.
We rely on memory to identify people and recall events, but memory is not always accurate. My research focuses on how memory works in real-world situations and how errors arise, particularly in forensic and legal contexts.
Why this matters
Mistakes in memory can have serious consequences — from misidentifying someone in a police investigation to giving inaccurate evidence in court. These errors can affect real people and real outcomes.
My work focuses on understanding why these errors happen and how we can improve the accuracy of identification and recall in high-stakes situations.
What I work on
How eyewitness memory works and why it can fail
How people identify unfamiliar faces in real-world contexts
Improving identification accuracy in policing and legal systems
Topics I comment on
Eyewitness memory
Face identification errors
Forensic psychology
Memory reliability
Enquiries: r.kemp@unsw.edu.au