Anxiety + Eyewitness Testimony Flashcards
What is anxiety?
A state of emotional (worried thoughts/tension) and physical (increased heart rate) arousal.
How can anxiety negatively affect eyewitness testimony?
The physiological arousal caused prevents us from paying attention to important cues, resulting in poor recall.
What was condition one in Johnson and Scott’s experiment in 1976?
Low anxiety - whilst waiting to take part in a study, they hear casual conversation in the next room and a man walks past carrying a pen with grease on his hands.
What was condition two in Johnson and Scott’s experiment in 1976?
High anxiety - whilst waiting, heated argument in next room and sound of breaking glass. Man walks past holding a knife covered in blood.
What were the findings of Johnson and Scott’s experiment in 1976?
• 49% correct in LA condition when picking man from 50 photos, only 33% in HA condition.
What is the tunnel theory?
Enhanced memory for central events as a result of weapons focus.
How can anxiety positively impact eyewitness testimony?
The fight or flight response is triggered during a stressful event, increasing awareness.
What was Yuille and Cutshall’s experiment in 1986?
• 13 witnesses to a real shooting in a shop in Vancouver interviewed 4-5 months afterwards.
• interviews compared to original police statements.
What were the findings of Yuille and Cutshall’s experiment in 1986?
• little change in accuracy of recall after 5 months.
• high stress 88% accuracy, vs low stress 75% accuracy.
How did Deffenbacher explain the contradictory findings surrounding anxiety and eyewitness testimony?
• calm - low performance due to disinterest.
• stress - optimal performance as energized and focused.
• distress - poor performance due to fatigue, exhaustion, burnout.
What study supports negative effects of anxiety?
Valentine and Mesout 2009 - Labyrinth of Horror. HA - 17% recall. LA - 75% recall.
What study supports positive effects of anxiety?
Christianson and Hubinette 1993 - bank robbery witnesses, 75%+ accurate recall.
What evidence challenges research surrounding anxiety and eyewitness testimony?
Some research suggesting negative effects of anxiety may not be testing anxiety but rather unusualness. Pickel 1998, unusual events = poor recall.
