Willem Albert Wagenaar was a Dutch psychologist noted for his work on the reliability of memory. He gained fame as an expert witness in some high profile legal cases.

Academic History

Wagenaar studied experimental psychology at Utrecht University

Utrecht University

Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....

; he graduated cum laude from the doctoral program there in 1965. In 1972 Wagenaar went to Leiden University

Leiden University

Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...

 to pursue a doctorate in Social Sciences. His thesis at Leiden, called “Sequential Response Bias”, was sponsored by Professor J. van der Geer. From 1973 to 1974 Wagenaar received a Fulbright grant to act as a visiting professor at Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

.

Wagenaar was then head of the psychology department from 1974-1985 at the Institute for Perception TNO at Soesterberg, The Netherlands. Wagenaar was also an experimental psychology professor at Leiden University from 1982-1985. Wagenaar received a tenured position at Leiden University in 1985, a position he held until retirement. While at Leiden University, Wagenaar would also serve as faculty dean and Rector Magnificus from 1997 until 2001. Starting in 2004 Wagenaar worked as a psychology of law professor at Utrecht University, he retired in 2006.

An expert witness

Wagenaar was called as an expert witness at a series of high profile cases. These inncluded the trial of John Demjanjuk who was accused of being the Nazi war criminal known as Ivan the Terrible. Wagenaar was also an expert in the a much publicised Dutch incest case (The Yolanda B case). In these cases his testimony focused on the reliability or otherwise of eye witness memory.

Magic Lanterns

Wagenaar was an enthusiast for and passionate collector of magic lanterns. He was so fond of the lanterns that he built a home theater for them and wrote an academic article on their origins.

Select Article List

Wagenaar is either a primary or co-author in over 150 articles, the following are a select group of the very extensive list.

1. Wagenaar, W. A. (1993). A model-based analysis of automation problems. In B. Wilpert, T. Qvale, B. Wilpert, T. Qvale (Eds.), Reliability and safety in hazardous work systems: Approaches to analysis and design (pp. 71–85). Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
2. Wagenaar, W. A., & Groeneweg, J. (1987). Accidents at sea: Multiple causes and impossible consequences. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 27(5-6), 587-598. doi:10.1016/S0020-7373(87)80017-2
3. Wagenaar, W. A., van Koppen, P. J., & Crombag, H. M. (1993). Anchored narratives: The psychology of criminal evidence. Hertfordshire, HP2 7EZ New York, NY EnglandUS: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
4. Wagenaar, W. A. (1995). Anchored narratives: A theory of judicial reasoning, and its consequences. In G. Davies, S. Lloyd-Bostock, M. McMurran, C. Wilson, G. Davies, S. Lloyd-Bostock, ... C. Wilson (Eds.), Psychology, law, and criminal justice: International developments in research and practice (pp. 267–285). Oxford England: Walter De Gruyter.
5. Wagenaar, W. A. (1996). Autobiographical memory in court. In D. C. Rubin, D. C. Rubin (Eds.), Remembering our past: Studies in autobiographical memory (pp. 180–196). New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press.
6. Wagenaar, W. A., & Massaro, D. W. (1992). Book reviews. American Journal of Psychology, 105(4), 631.
7. Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). Calibration and the effects of knowledge and reconstruction in retrieval from memory. Cognition, 28(3), 277-296. doi:10.1016/0010-0277(88)90016-9
8. Wagenaar, W. A., & Keren, G. B. (1985). Calibration of Probability Assessments by Professional Blackjack Dealers, Statistical Experts.. Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes, 36(3), 406.
9. Wagenaar, W. A., & Keren, G. B. (1988). Chance and luck are not the same. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 1(2), 65-75. doi:10.1002/bdm.3960010202
10. Keren, G., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). Chance and skill in gambling: A search for distinctive features. Social Behaviour, 3(3), 199-217.
11. Wagenaar, W. A., Hudson, P. T., & Reason, J. T. (1990). Cognitive failures and accidents. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 4(4), 273-294. doi:10.1002/acp.2350040405
12. Wagenaar, W. A. (1994). Commonsense problem solving in conditions of underspecification. In J. Siegfried, J. Siegfried (Eds.), The status of common sense in psychology (pp. 322–345). Westport, CT US: Ablex Publishing.
13. Wagenaar, W. A., & Veefkind, N. (1992). Comparison of one-person and many-person lineups: A warning against unsafe practices. In F. Lösel, D. Bender, T. Bliesener, F. Lösel, D. Bender, T. Bliesener (Eds.), Psychology and law: International perspectives (pp. 275–285). Oxford England: Walter De Gruyter.
14. Crombag, H. M., Wagenaar, W. A., & van Koppen, P. J. (1996). Crashing Memories and the Problem of 'Source Monitoring'. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 10(2), 95-104.
15. Haakma Wagenaar, W. (1996). De kas van het koororgel in de Sint Laurenskerk te Alkmaar. In, The case of the choir organ in the St. Laurenskerk at Alkmaar.
16. Wagenaar, W. A. (1989). De psycholoog kan een waardevolle getuigedeskundige zijn. Psycholoog, 24(10), 493-498.
17. Wagenaar, W. A., Schreuder, R. R., & Van der Heijden, A. H. (1985). Do TV pictures help people to remember the weather forecast?. Ergonomics, 28(5), 765-772. doi:10.1080/00140138508963196
18. Wagenaar, W. A. (1991). Een psycholoog is geen leugendetector. Psycholoog, 26(6), 257-264.
19. Marmor, M. F., & Wagenaar, W. A. (2003). Escher and the Ophthalmologist. Survey of Ophthalmology, 48(3), 356. doi:10.1016/S0039-6257(03)00027-4
20. Wagenaar, W. A., & van der Schrier, J. H. (1996). Face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: A practical tool for use in the courtroom. Psychology, Crime & Law, 2(4), 321-332. doi:10.1080/10683169608409787
21. Jong, M., Wagenaar, W. A., Wolters, G., & Verstijnen, I. M. (2005). Familiar face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: a practical tool for use in the courtroom. Psychology, Crime & Law, 11(1), 87-97. doi:10.1080/10683160410001715123
22. De Jong, M., Wagenaar, W. A., Wolters, G., & Verstijnen, I. M. (2005). Familiar face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: A practical tool for use in the courtroom. Psychology, Crime & Law, 11(1), 87-97. doi:10.1080/10683160410001715123
23. Wagenaar, W. A. (1988, March). Forecasting disasters. International Journal of Forecasting. pp. 3–4.
24. Crombag, H. M., Wagenaar, W. A., & van Koppen, P. R. (2011). From the archive: 'Crashing memories and the problem of 'source monitoring by H. F. M. Crombag, W. A. Wagenaar, & P. J. van Koppen (1996). Applied Cognitive Psychology, 10, 95-104 with commentary. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25S91-S101. doi:10.1002/acp.1779
25. Wagenaar, W. (2000). Het uiterlijk van het Alkmaarse koororgel. In, The exterior of the Alkmaar choir organ
26. Wagenaar, W. (1988). Identifying Ivan: A case study in legal psychology. Cambridge, MA US: Harvard University Press.
27. Wagenaar, W. A., & Hudson, P. W. (1998). Industrial safety. In P. D. Drenth, H. Thierry, C. J. de Wolff, P. D. Drenth, H. Thierry, C. J. de Wolff (Eds.), Handbook of work and organizational, Vol. 2: Work psychology (2nd ed.) (pp. 65–87). Hove England: Psychology Press/Erlbaum (UK) Taylor & Francis.
28. Timmers, H., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1977). Inverse statistics and misperception of exponential growth. Perception & Psychophysics, 21(6), 558-562.
29. Wagenaar, W. A. (1994). Is memory self-serving?. In U. Neisser, R. Fivush, U. Neisser, R. Fivush (Eds.), The remembering self: Construction and accuracy in the self-narrative (pp. 191–204). New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511752858.012
30. Wagenaar, W. A., Keren, G., & Lichtenstein, S. (1988). Islanders and hostages: Deep and surface structures of decision problems. Acta Psychologica, 67(2), 175-189. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(88)90012-1
31. Wagenaar, W. A. (2009). LOTHAR MEGGENDORFER AND THE MAGIC LANTERN. New Magic Lantern Journal, 10(5), 90-91.
32. Wagenaar, W. A., & Boer, J. P. (1987). Misleading postevent information: Testing parameterized models of integration in memory. Acta Psychologica, 66(3), 291-306. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(87)90040-0
33. Keren, G. B., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1985). On the psychology of playing blackjack: Normative and descriptive considerations with implications for decision theory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114(2), 133-158. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.114.2.133
34. Wagenaar, W. (1988). Paradoxes of gambling behaviour. Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
35. Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). People and places in my memory: A study on cue specificity and retrieval from autobiographical memory. In M. M. Gruneberg, P. E. Morris, R. N. Sykes, M. M. Gruneberg, P. E. Morris, R. N. Sykes (Eds.), Practical aspects of memory: Current research and issues, Vol. 1: Memory in everyday life (pp. 228–233). Oxford England: John Wiley & Sons.
36. Wagenaar, W. A. (1996). Profiling crisis management. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 4(3), 169-174.
37. Wagenaar, W. A. (1996). Profiling Crisis Management. Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management, 4(3), 169.
38. Wagenaar, W. A. (1991). Randomness and randomizers: Maybe the problem is not so big. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 4(3), 220-222. doi:10.1002/bdm.3960040309
39. Wagenaar, W. A., Schreuder, R., & Jan Wijlhuizen, G. (1987). Readability of Instructional Text, Written for the General Public. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 1(3), 155-167.
40. Wagenaar, W. A. (1990). Risk evaluation and the causes of accidents. In K. Borcherding, O. I. Larichev, D. M. Messick, K. Borcherding, O. I. Larichev, D. M. Messick (Eds.), Contemporary issues in decision making (pp. 245–260). Oxford England: North-Holland.
41. Wagenaar, W. A. (1992). Risk taking and accident causation. In J. Yates, J. Yates (Eds.), Risk-taking behavior (pp. 257–281). Oxford England: John Wiley & Sons.
42. Wagenaar, W. A., Souverijn, A. M., & Hudson, P. W. (1993). Safety management in intensive care wards. In B. Wilpert, T. Qvale, B. Wilpert, T. Qvale (Eds.), Reliability and safety in hazardous work systems: Approaches to analysis and design (pp. 157–169). Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
43. Wagenaar, W. A. (1975). Stevens vs Fechner: A plea for dismissal of the case. Acta Psychologica, 39(3), 225-235. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(75)90037-2
44. Wagenaar, W. A. (1975). Supertankers: Simulators for the study of steering. American Psychologist, 30(3), 440-444. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.30.3.440
45. Keren, G., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1987). Temporal aspects of probabilistic predictions. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 25(1), 61-64.
46. Wagenaar, W. A. (1996). The Ethics of Not Spending Money on Safety. In D. M. Messick, A. E. Tenbrunsel (Eds.), Codes of conduct: Behavioral research into business ethics (pp. 318–327). New York:.
47. Loftus, E. F., Schooler, J. W., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1985). The fate of memory: Comment on McCloskey and Zaragoza. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114(3), 375-380. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.114.3.375
48. Wagenaar, W. A. (1997). The logical status of case histories. In J. Read, D. Lindsay, J. Read, D. Lindsay (Eds.), Recollections of trauma: Scientific evidence and clinical practice (pp. 109–143). New York, NY US: Plenum Press.
49. Wagenaar, W. A., & Groeneweg, J. (1990). The Memory of Concentration Camp Survivors. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 4(2), 77-87.
50. Wagenaar, W. A., Keren, G., & Pleit-Kuiper, A. (1984). The multiple objectives of gamblers. Acta Psychologica, 56(1-3), 167-178. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(84)90016-7
51. Bar-Hillel, M., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1993). The perception of randomness. In G. Keren, C. Lewis, G. Keren, C. Lewis (Eds.), A handbook for data analysis in the behavioral sciences: Methodological issues (pp. 369–393). Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
52. Wagenaar, W. A., & Timmers, H. (1979). The pond-and-duckweed problem: Three experiments on the misperception of exponential growth. Acta Psychologica, 43(3), 239-251. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(79)90028-3
53. Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). The proper seat: A Bayesian discussion of the position of expert witnesses. Law and Human Behavior, 12(4), 499-510. doi:10.1007/BF01044630
54. Wagenaar, W. A., & Keren, G. B. (1986). The seat belt paradox: Effect of adopted roles on information seeking. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 38(1), 1-6. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(86)90022-1
55. Wagenaar, W. A. (1994). The subjective probability of guilt. In G. Wright, P. Ayton, G. Wright, P. Ayton (Eds.), Subjective probability (pp. 529–547). Oxford England: John Wiley & Sons.
56. Wagenaar, W. A., & Visser, J. G. (1979). The weather forecast under the weather. Ergonomics, 22(8), 909-917. doi:10.1080/00140137908924665
57. Wagenaar, W. A., Frankenhuizen, J. J., Vos, J. J., & Flores D'Arcais, G. B. (1984). There is no induced motion at near-threshold velocities. Acta Psychologica, 55(3), 295-313. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(84)90047-7
58. Wagenaar, W. A., & Reason, J. T. (1990). Types and tokens in road accident causation. Ergonomics, 33(10-11), 1365-1375. doi:10.1080/00140139008925338
59. Keren, G., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1987). Violation of utility theory in unique and repeated gambles. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 13(3), 387-391. doi:10.1037/0278-7393.13.3.387
60. Lichtenstein, S., Gregory, R., Slovic, P., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1990). When lives are in your hands: Dilemmas of the societal decision maker. In R. M. Hogarth, R. M. Hogarth (Eds.), Insights in decision making: A tribute to Hillel J. Einhorn (pp. 91–106). Chicago, IL US: University of Chicago Press.

External links

• http://www.eadm.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=595:former-eadm-president-willem-wagenaar-deceased&catid=1:eadm-latest-news&Itemid=289
• http://www.cunningmasters.nl/cunningmasters/bestanden/CV_Prof._Wagenaar.pdf
• http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/05/03/beroemde-geheugenspecialist-wagenaar-69-overleden/&ei=i6acTvPrL4SFsgKzlq3eCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEwQ7gEwBTgK&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwillem%2Balbert%2Bwagenaar%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D636%26prmd%3Dimvnso%20http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/05/03/beroemde-geheugenspecialist-wagenaar-69-overleden/&ei=i6acTvPrL4SFsgKzlq3eCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEwQ7gEwBTgK&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwillem%2Balbert%2Bwagenaar%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D636%26prmd%3Dimvnso ]
• http://artisticresearchreports.blogspot.com/2011/05/remembering-wawagenaar-and-his-legacy.html
• http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.dub.uu.nl/content/willem-albert-wagenaar-overleden&ei=o5SdTqGRGKaMsAK224HYCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFYQ7gEwCQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwillem%2Balbert%2Bwagenaar%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D636%26prmd%3Dimvnso
• http://www.magiclantern.org.uk/history/history3.html