Accuracy of eyewitness testimony: anxiety Flashcards
What is anxiety?
Unpleasant emotional state that physically arouses an individual, often through increased heart and breathing rate.
What effect does anxiety have on EWT?
Can have either a negative or positive effect in terms of accuracy.
Who investigated the negative effect of anxiety on accuracy of EWT?
Johnson and Scott.
What method did Johnson and Scott use to investigate the negative effect of anxiety on accuracy of EWT?
Ps sat in waiting room, heard argument in adjoining room. Saw man come through Ps waiting room with either: pen covered in grease (low anxiety) or a knife covered in blood (high anxiety: weapon focus condition). Ps then asked to identify man from set of photographs.
What did Johnson and Scott find?
Mean accuracy 49% in low anxiety condition, 33% in high anxiety.
Explain the weapon focus effect.
A weapon in criminal’s hand distracts attention (due to anxiety) from other features, reducing the accuracy of identification.
What evidence is there for anxiety having a positive effect on accuracy of EWT?
Interviews with 50+ real bank robbery witnesses months after event. Were either victims or bystanders (high & low anxiety respectively). All showed good recall, victims showed better.
(Could be AO3) Which effect provides a compromise explanation for the effects of anxiety?
Yerkes-Dodson effect.
(Could be AO3) Describe the Yerkes-Dodson principle.
Moderate levels of anxiety can enhance accuracy of EWT, but when anxiety/arousal is too extreme (high or low) then accuracy will be reduced.
(AO3) What is a strength (validity) of both these studies into the effect of anxiety on EWT?
High ecological validity. Johnson & Scott Ps not aware scenario was fake. Interviews were in context of a real crime. Where as lab studies lead to less anxiety.
Bank robbery study was a real-life study. Conditions in these studies much closer to real life conditions - can apply to real world - high external validity.
(AO3) What is the issue with the experimental design used by Christianson and Hubinette in the bank robbery study?
Naturalistic design. Susceptible to biasing effect of extraneous variables. Example: effect of post-event discussion reduces accuracy of EWT. Also media influences & schemas altering memory. Difficult to establish casual relationship. Lacks reliability.
(AO3) What is the clear ethical issue with Johnson and Scott’s study?
Breaches BPS guidelines of protection from psychological harm, informed consent and deception. Exposing participants to a particularly distressing real-life situation could have long-term implications for them (mental health etc.). Cost-benefit analysis needed (improving accuracy of EWT valuable).
