The History of Eyewitness Testimony and the Foundations of the "Lie Detector" in Austria and Italy

Titolo Rivista RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA
Autori/Curatori Mauro Antonelli, Siegfried Ludwig Sporer
Anno di pubblicazione 2021 Fascicolo 2021/1
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 26 P. 41-66 Dimensione file 272 KB
DOI 10.3280/RSF2021-001003
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Although little known, the theoretical and methodological roots of lie detection, in particular of the development of the so-called "lie detector", must be placed in central Europe, in particular in Germany, Austria, and later in Italy at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. Focusing on Austria and Italy, we trace this development from Hans Gross in Austria to Vittorio Benussi and his pupil Cesare L. Musatti in Italy. Benussi, initially active at the University of Graz and later at the University of Padua, was the mediating link between the Austrian and Italian legal psychology tradition.

Sebbene poco noto, le radici teoriche e metodologiche della psicologia della testimonianza, in particolare dello sviluppo della cosiddetta "macchina della verità", vanno ricercate in Europa centrale, in particolare in Germania, Austria, e più tardi in Italia tra il XIX e il XX secolo. Concentrandoci su Austria e Italia, ripercorriamo questi sviluppi da Hans Gross in Austria a Vittorio Benussi e al suo allievo Cesare L. Musatti in Italia. Benussi, inizialmente attivo presso l’Università di Graz e in seguito presso quella di Padova, rappresentò l’anello di congiunzione tra la scuola austriaca di psicologia giuridica e quella italiana.

Keywords:Rilevamento della menzogna, testimonianza oculare, storia della psicologia, Austria, Italia, Vittorio Benussi.

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Mauro Antonelli, Siegfried Ludwig Sporer, The History of Eyewitness Testimony and the Foundations of the "Lie Detector" in Austria and Italy in "RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA" 1/2021, pp 41-66, DOI: 10.3280/RSF2021-001003