(3) EWT Flashcards
What was the Loftus and Palmer study
What was the follow-up study for Loftus and Palmer?
What are the two aspects of post-event discussion?
What is the weapon-focus effect
What are the three case studies for anxiety in EWT
1:
Yuille and Cutshall (1986): Anxiety and Accuracy in Real-Life Events
Aim:
To investigate the accuracy of eyewitness testimony in a real-life, high-stress situation.
Procedure:
1. Event: The study examined a real-life shooting in Vancouver, Canada, where a thief
attempted to rob a gun shop and was shot dead by the shop owner. There were 21
witnesses, 13 of whom agreed to participate in the study.
2. Data Collection:
• Witnesses were interviewed 4-5 months after the event.
• Their accounts were compared to their original police statements.
• Participants rated their stress levels during the event on a 7-point scale.
3. Accuracy Measurement:
• Researchers assessed the number of accurate details provided in the
interviews.
Findings:
• Accuracy: Witnesses were remarkably accurate in their accounts, even after several
months. The majority of the details were consistent with their original statements.
• Stress Levels: Witnesses who reported higher levels of stress were actually more
accurate (about 88%) than those who reported lower stress levels (about 75%
accuracy).
2:
Johnson and Scott (1976): The Weapon Focus Effect
Aim:
To investigate the effect of anxiety, particularly the presence of a weapon, on the accuracy of eyewitness memory.
Procedure:
1. Participants: Volunteer participants were asked to sit in a waiting room, believing they were taking part in a different study.
2. Two Conditions:
Low-Anxiety Condition: Participants overheard a conversation about office equipment followed by a man walking past them holding a pen with grease on his hands.
• High-Anxiety Condition: Participants overheard a heated argument and the sound of breaking glass, followed by a man walking past them holding a bloody knife.
3. Task: After the encounter, participants were asked to identify the man they saw from a set of 50 photos.
Findings:
• Accuracy in Identification:
Low-Anxiety Condition: 49% of participants accurately identified the man.
High-Anxiety Condition: Only 33% of participants accurately identified the
3:
• Christianson & Hubinette 1993
○ Questioned real victims of robbery
○ Those threatened more accurate in recall
○ Onlookers less accurate
○ This continued to be true 15 months later
○ Shows anxiety can be helpful
What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law (&draw it out)
There is an optimum anxiety level for EWT (medium)
Anxiety in EWT eval (3 bad)
What are the 4 types of cognitive interviews and what happens during each of them and what do they do
Cognitive interviews EVAL (1 good, 3 bad)
Cognitive interviews EVAL (1 good, 3 bad)
