Accuracy of EWT- Anxiety Flashcards
What is the positive effect of anxiety on accuracy of EWT?
More intricate and accurate memories
It is adaptive to remember events that are more dangerous/ provoke anxiety for survival
Who carried out the study into positive effects of anxiety?
Christianson and Hubinette
Outline Christianson and Hubinette’s study
58 bank robberies in Sweden were studied
-victims were interviewed
-bystanders were interviewed
The victims produced more accurate EWTs due to higher levels of anxiety
What is the negative effect of anxiety on accuracy of EWT?
The performances of complex cognitive tasks are reduced by stress
Who carried out the study into the negative effect of anxiety?
Johnson and Scott
Outline the procedure of Johnson and Scott’s study
Ppts were asked to sit in a waiting room for a study.
-Both groups heard shouting from inside the neighbouring room
-one group saw a man run out of the room holding a pen covered in grease
-the other group saw a man run out of the room holding a knife covered in blood
The ppts were later asked to identify the man from a set of photographs
Outline the findings of Johnson and Scott’s study
The group in the low anxiety condition (pen) had accurate recall of 50%
The group in the high anxiety condition (knife) had accurate recall of 30%
The weapon caused the ppts to focus on the weapon and not pay much attention to other details of the event
AO3 +
Christianson and Hubinette was real-life
Not a lab study
-real life study, therefore high in ecological validity
-benefits over lab study is that lab studies may not be able to make ppts experience real anxiety
AO3 -
Individual differences
-Less emotionally sensitive witnesses had higher accuracy as stress levels increased
-More emotionally sensitive witnesses had lower accuracy as stress levels increased
Therefore individual differences may play a role in the accuracy of EWT
AO3
Violence of the crime may effect the accuracy of recall
Many of the studies used didn’t contain violence
-Christianson and Hubinette’s study is one of the only ones that did
-The victims of VIOLENT crimes had more accurate recalls than victims of non-violent crimes
AO3 -
Weapon focus effect may not be caused by anxiety (includes hair salon study)
Reduced accuracy may be caused by SURPRISE, rather than anxiety
There were 4 conditions:
-Thief entered hair salon with scissors (high threat, low surprise)
-Gun (High threat, high surprise)
-Wallet (low threat, low surprise)
-Whole raw chicken (Low threat, high surprise)
Ppts were then asked to identify the thief
Identification was the worst in the raw chicken condition
Therefore supports the view that weapon focus effect is due to surprise not anxiety
