Anxiety

Question 1

What is the Yekes-dodson effect

Answer 1

The observation that arousal has a negative effect on performance when it is very low or very high

Question 2

What is Loftus’ weapon-focus effect study?

Answer 2

Reported the findings of Johnson’s and Scots 1976 study where they created two conditions using an independent groups design:
- Either heard an aggressive argument and saw someone with a bloody letter opener
- OR heard a conversation where one of them was holding a greasy pen

Question 3

What was the conclusion of Loftus’ study?

Answer 3

33% identified the letter opener condition culprit
49% identified the pen condition culprit

meaning that maybe someone might focus on the weirder scenario rather than the scarier scenario

Question 4

What is a criticism of Loftus’ study?

Answer 4

The study lacks internal validity

Pickrel showed an incident in a hair-dressing salon, EWT was significantly poorer in the high usualness conditions,

Question 5

What is the cognitive interview? (4 stages)

Answer 5

• Recreate the context of the original incident
• Report every detail
• Recall the event in reverse order
• To change perspectives

Question 6

What did Kohnken et al find out about the cognitive interview?

Answer 6

Carried out a met-analysis of 53 studies and found on average a 34% increase in the amount of correct information generated

Question 7

What did Milne and bull criticise about the cognitive interview

Answer 7

Found that a combination of report everything and context reinstatement produce the most effective reports which confirmed some of the police officers’ views that some aspects are better than others