Henry Otgaar

Henry Otgaar is a professor of legal psychology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, He is also a visiting fellow at City, University of London, and the Centre for Memory and Law. He also specializes in developmental differences in memory, the formation of false memories, the relationship between trauma and memory, the interrogation of children and adolescents, and the evolution of memory.

Career In 2002, he began working as a tutor at Maastricht University. From 2005 to 2006, he served as a teaching assistant in the Faculty of Psychology while pursuing his PhD, which he completed cum laude in 2009.

While completing his PhD, Otgaar also began working as an expert witness for the Maastricht Forensic Institute in 2006. During his academic training, he developed a specific interest in the intersection of psychology and neuroscience, which continues to guide the majority of his research.

Otgaar's research focuses on the development of memory, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms underlying memory formation. His specialised area of expertise is the development of false memories. and frequently serves as an expert witness in legal cases regarding the reliability of eyewitness testimonies, with a particular emphasis on cases involving child witnesses.

Otgaar is a member of the Dutch Expert Group on Sexual Abuse Cases, the National Expert Database, and its Committee of Exam and Advice, and works for the Maastricht Forensic Institute.

Research He has conducted research on repressed memories related to psychological trauma, susceptibility to false memory formation during survival processing, relative resistance of children to false memory effects, development of non-believed memories, and cognitive mechanisms behind false memory formation. He is particularly known for studying memory development from childhood to adolescence. Furthermore, his research pays special attention to the influence that environmental factors have on memory development.

Additionally, in 2011, he was selected for the Edmond Hustinx Award for Science by the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) at Maastricht University, which recognizes innovative, integrative research with international relevance.

Books and publications Otgaar has authored or co-authored over 200 scholarly works, including journal articles, book chapters, reports, and research briefs.