Anxiety - Memory In Everyday Life

Question 1

Johnson and Scott

Answer 1

• participants new they were in a study and were in the waiting room when they hear/see a man holding
  1. Casual conversation + pen (49% identification of man)
  2. Heated discussion + knife (33% identification of man)
• they were given photos and asked to identify the man
  • anxiety hinders recall

Question 2

Yuille and Cutshall

Answer 2

• 13 witnesses to real bank robbery (some threatened directly). They had high, real anxiety levels.
• they were interviewed immediately after and 4months later with 2 leading questions.
• statements almost matched!
  • anxiety aids recall

Question 3

Parker

Answer 3

• people interviewed after hurricane to look for a relationship between recall of events and damage to home
• moderate damage = best recall of events.

Question 4

Valentine and Mescount

Answer 4

• participants sent around London dungeons (designed with scares throughout) using a heart rate monitor.
• Participants are then split into:
  High anxiety group ⬇️recall
  Low anxiety group ⬆️recall
• when asked to identify a man they encountered whilst going around.
  • anxiety hinders recall

Question 5

Weapon focus

Answer 5

• eyewitnesses focus on one important aspect of an event (weapon) and not perpetrator as weapon is a threat,
• causes anxiety and ⬇️accuracy of identifying perpetrator

Question 6

Tunnel theory of memory

Answer 6

• focus on specific aspects of an incident and miss a lot of detail

Question 7

fight/flight response

Answer 7

• stressful situation triggers fight/flight response. Increased heart rate to pump more oxygen to muscles ready for movement, dilated pupils.
  • physiological alertness increases recall

Question 8

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Answer 8

• Inverted U-shape graph that links anxiety arousal and recall.
• moderate arousal of anxiety leads to the best recall.

Question 9

• Pickel (1998) AO3

Answer 9

• it could be surprise not anxiety that effects recall
• study into this where a man walk in room carrying:
  1. Wallet⬇️ threat ⬇️ surprise
  2. Scissors ⬆️threat⬇️ surprise
  3. Raw chicken⬇️ threat⬆️ surprise
  4. Gun⬆️ threat ⬆️ surprise
  • worst recall of man from raw chicken/gun which suggest surprise hinders recall not anxiety.

Question 10

• Lab studies demand characteristics (ao3)

Answer 10

• raises the issue of demand characteristics as people know they’re in a study so look for cues on how to act which reduces the validity of data in memory research.