Most jurors will be more inclined to reach a verdict favorable to one side if that side's case is based primarily on eyewitness testimony rather than on physical evidence backed by expert scientific testimony. Surprisingly, studies involving jurors in mock trials have found that this tendency survives even for those jurors who understand that eyewitness testimony is generally less reliable than is physical evidence backed by expert testimony.
Which of the following, if true, would most help to explain the surprising phenomenon described above?