2.8 Memory | Anxiety Flashcards
What is anxiety?
A state of emotional and physical arousal.
What are emotions of anxiety?
Worried thoughts and feelings of tension
What are the physical changes of anxiety?
Increased heart rate and sweating
How can anxiety affect EWT?
Accuracy and detail due to the arousal it causes in the body therefore recall is worse
What is the research into the negative effect of anxiety on recall?
Scott and Johnson
Participants thought they were taking part in a lab study
What were the findings of Scott and Johnson’s research?
49% were able to recognise the man out of 50 pics in the low anxiety condition
33%
What is the explanation for these findings?
Tunnel theory - enhanced memory for central events
weapon focus due to anxiety results in this effect
What was the research for the positive effects of anxiety on recall?
Yuille and Cutshall
Details of Yuille and Cutshall’s research.
Shooting - shop owner fired - in shop in Canada.
21 witnesses - 13 took part
4-5 months after they were interviewed and their EWT compared to immediately after
What else were individuals asked?
How stressed they were at the time of the incident - 7 point scale - or if they were impacted emotionally by the event
What were the findings of Y and C’s research?
Very accurate just small details were less accurate like shirt/hair colour
Participants who recorded highest level of stress has highest recall 88% compared to 75%
How studied Yerkes-Dodson Law?
Deffenbacher
