When and why does credibility become an issue in criminal cases Essay

When and why does credibility become an issue in criminal cases - Essay Example Different people have different credibility and therefore the experts involved in the case will determine extend or the trustworthiness of a witness. The witness to be approved for credibility can be approached from different ways. One is that the person may be approached by an individual expert who will determine the trustworthiness of the person. The other one and the most effective one is whereby a group of experts approach a witness to determine the trustworthiness of his evidence. When the source of information is credible it becomes easy and firmer to make decisions. Some general characteristics of a credible person are unselfish, caring, fair, experienced, qualified and trustworthy. People who are charismatic become more than credible since they are extroverted, composed and also sociable. It is not always guaranteed that an expert will be competent with witness. If he becomes competent depending on the context then it will be quick and accurate to make fair decisions. There a re different aspects of life which require credibility. These vary from marketing to other things like criminal cases. In criminal cases credibility has become one such aspect which sees to it that there is fair judgment in all what happens in the process of the cases. One aspect which is very important to get from the witness is credibility. There are many things which may influence a person’s credibility and they vary from one person to another. Things that influence a person’s credibility Social influence This occurs when external factors intervene and change or control you. This may be in effect to your thoughts, feelings or actions which will be affected extrinsically by people. Social influence takes into consideration many forms like socialization, peer pressure, obedience, persuasion and even leadership. This is technically and widely discussed in social psychology. A person may be influenced socially due to the minority influence. This happens when the majorit y is influenced to accept the beliefs of the person in the case or the group. This mostly happens through informational social influence. When many people take a certain direction then it is psychological that you will be confronted to take the same direction. Many will always feel that the majority group is the right one and they will therefore act in favor of the majority leading to poor credibility (Garvev, 2003). Also when the group acting is perprating and consistent, then this may influence your credibility. The stronger the social influence then the more it will affect your personal credibility. Despite this you can take your own personal stand and believe by what you know, saw or were involved in rather than relying on what you hear from other people. You can also use your own understanding of a situation or a given scenario to extent your credibility. Therefore credibility should be effective when it is internalized rather than externalized (Foot, 1973). Personal stand Your personal stand plays a key role in determining your trustworthiness in a given scenario. You should have your own personal stand rather than the group or majority stand. This may be achieved by believing in what you know and doing thorough research. You ought to follow some rules like I know because I know. A personal stand if publicized may have a lot of impact on your credibility (Brain, 2011). Behavior One of the things that may make control of your credibility is behavior. Your behavior will be determined more by obedience. Human beings will always behave differently in