Anxiety In Eye Witness Testimony

Question 1

What is anxiety

Answer 1

A state of emotional and physical arousal

• worried
• feelings of tension

Question 2

Anxiety has NEGATIVE effect on recall

Answer 2

Johnson and Scott (1976)
1. Low anxiety condition- after hearing argument man walks in with grease covered pen 49% accuracy recall

2. High anxiety- argument then sound of broken glass- man walked in with paper knife covered in blood 33%
   - Tunnel theory may suggest that witness attention narrows and focus on weapon

Question 3

Anxiety has POSITIVE afffect on recall

Answer 3

Yuville and cutshall

Vancouver shooting study

86% in more stressed participants
75% accuracy less stressed

Question 4

Evaluation- weapon focus may not be relevant

Answer 4

Focus on the weapon- may be a surprise rather than anxiety

Pickle 1998- scissors, handgun, wallet and raw chicken in hairdressing video
-poorer in chicken and gun (unusual)

Suggests that weapon focus affect us due to unsual rather than anxiety

Question 5

Evaluation- field studies have lack of control

Answer 5

Interviewed long time after

• post event discussions may have took place
• extraneous variables may be responsible for accuracy recall