1 - Fawcett: of guns and geese | meta-analytic review on weapon focus Flashcards
What is the weapon focus effect?
The decrease in memory performance for details surrounding an event due to the presence of a weapon or unusual item
How does the arousal/threat hypothesis explain the weapon effect?
Proposes that weapons cause heightened physiological arousal, which narrows attention
-> people focus on central cues (e.g., the weapon) and ignore peripheral details (e.g., the perpetrator’s face)
-> Results on this view are mixed and inconsistent: some studies support
How does the unusual item hypothesis explain the weapon effect?
Suggests that unusual or unexpected items (not necessarily threatening) draw attention due to their incongruence with expected schemas
-> people process these items more deeply to resolve their incongruity, diverting attention from other scene elements
-> Supported by studies
-> When a weapon is expected in the scene (e.g., at a shooting range), the weapon focus effect does not occur, supporting the unusual item view over the arousal hypothesis
What are the different methodological designs that look into the weapon focus effect?
-> Laboratory studies: Use videos or slides in controlled settings, with participants knowing the crime isn’t real
-> Simulation studies: Involve staged events participants witness directly, creating a greater sense of realism and arousal
-> Studies of actual crimes: Use real-world data from police records, interviews, or line-up identifications
These methodological differences can influence levels of arousal, perceived threat and the impact of the weapon
Did the researchers find the weapon focus effect in their meta analysis?
Yes, they found that the presence of a weapon does impair memory
What did the researchers find for retention interval?
The longer the delay before witnesses are asked to recall the event, the weaker the weapon focus effect becomes
Supports both theories
-> Arousal/threat hypothesis: arousal fades over time, so the narrowing of attention may lessen
-> Unusual item view: the salience of unusual details may become harder to remember with time
What did the researchers find for threat level?
-> Threatening situations tend to increase the weapon focus effect
-> This supports the arousal/threat hypothesis, since threat raises emotional arousal, which narrows attention
What did the researchers find for exposure duration (how long the weapon is seen)?
The weapon focus effect is strongest when the weapon is visible for a moderate amount of time
-> Too short: the weapon may not register
-> Too long: people may start looking away from the weapon and notice other things
How did the type of methodological study effect the findings?
Lab and simulation studies show stronger weapon focus effects than real-world crimes
-> real-world weapon focus effect is likely smaller, but still present -> due to complex real-world variables
How does the weapon focus effect influence different types of memory performance -> feature accuracy (details of event), identification accuracy (lineup), completeness (amount of info recalled)
Feature accuracy -> strong weapon effect here
-> people remember the weapon but forget what the perpetrator looked like
Identification accuracy -> weaker effect but still present
-> witnesses are less accurate at identifying suspects if weapon is involved
Completeness
-> no consistent pattern
Do unusual items also play a role?
Unusual objects can also impair memory, just like weapons do
