Chapter 3 Memory for Events

Question 1

Two most common tasks for eyewitnesses

Answer 1

• Facial recognition and -Event Memory

Question 2

Event memory

Answer 2

Recalling details of an incident

Question 3

Facial recognition

Answer 3

Identify face of a person seen earlier

Question 4

Factors involved in recall of events

Answer 4

-Exposure time - Seriousness of Crime - Use of Weapons

Question 5

What do witnesses often over-estimate

Answer 5

The length of a crime

Question 6

Loftus et al 1987

Answer 6

Participants shown video of bank robbery that takes place over 30 seconds. Asked to estimate length of robbery. Avg est - 2.5 mins

Question 7

Why is crime seriousness an issue in recalling events?

Answer 7

People may have trouble recalling traumatic stimuli due to suppression of memories or lack of attention paid to traumatic stimuli at time of event

Question 8

2 Issues for Psychological Research in investigating crime seriousness and memory interaction

Answer 8

1) You cannot recreate the impact and trauma of the serious crime on the indiv. 2) The impact is not as strong on an uninvolved witness as it is on the victim

Question 9

Clifford and Hollin 84

Answer 9

Show violent and non violent video and asked to recall. Better recall for non-violent video

Question 10

Yerkes Dodson Law

Answer 10

Stimulation affects performance accuracy in a curvilinear manner

Question 11

What does the Yerkes Dodson Law mean for memory in relation to the seriousness of a crime?

Answer 11

Too little stimulation (not perceived as serious enough) low recall/acquisition - Too much stimulation (crime perceived as traumatic - low recall/acquisition – Optimal stimulation (crime percieved as serious but not traumatic - better recall)

Question 12

How does over-stimulation affect memory during recall?

Answer 12

If individual is over-stimulated during recall (such as stressful witness stand situation) recall may be limited

Question 13

How does the freq. of occurrence of a crime on the individual affect their perception of the seriousness of the crime?

Answer 13

The more frequent, less serious. Less frequent (e.g once in a lifetime) more serious.

Question 14

Weapon Use in relation to memory

Answer 14

If a weapon is used in a crime, the witness will pay more attention to the weapon than to individuals and other events happening around them

Question 15

How does age influence recall?

Answer 15

Both very young and old perform less well.

Question 16

Children

Answer 16

HUGE area of research at the moment - reliability of child witnesses

Question 17

Old age - how does this affect memory?

Answer 17

Hearing and eyesight problems may affect acquisition of memory

Question 18

Influence of Occupation on recall

Answer 18

No real strong correlations between occupation and recall of faces or events. Police Officers may report more information because they are actively looking for it. They are just as susceptible to memory distortion as we are

Question 19

Effect of confidence on accuracy and jurors perceptions of accuracy

Answer 19

Witnesses who appear confident are more likely to have their evidence believed by jurors, however there is no evidence to suggest that there’s a correlation between confidence and accuracy

Question 20

Personality characteristics and eyewitness ability

Answer 20

no correlations have been found - there is suggestion that it could be situational - more anxious individual doesn’t recall stressful event when it is happening to them, recalls when they are a witness to a crime

Question 21

Gender and facial memory

Answer 21

• Females reportedly better than males at recognising faces

- The issue of male colourblindness