Cognitive Classic Evidence Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the classic research within the cognitive approach refers?

A

Reconstruction of automobile destruction: an example of the interaction between language and memory

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2
Q

Who were the researchers within the cognitive research

A

Loftus and Palmer (1974)

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3
Q

What were Loftus and Palmer investigating?

A

The effects of leading questions on eye-witnesses memory

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4
Q

What are leading questions?

A

A question that suggests to the eye-witness what answer is desired or leads them to the desired answer

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5
Q

What is an eye-witness testimony?

A

Witnesses of a crime asked to give evidence in court

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6
Q

What was the aim of experiment one within Loftus and Palmer’s research?

A

To investigate if the speed estimates of participants were influenced by the verbs used i the questions aske

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7
Q

What was the aim of experiment two within Loftus and Palmer’s research?

A

To investigate whether leading questions simply bias a person’s response or actually alter the memory that is stored

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8
Q

What is the research method used in experiment one?

A

Lab experiment

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9
Q

What is the experimental design used in experiment one?

A

Independent groups

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10
Q

What is the sample used in experiment one?

A

45 students

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11
Q

What is the sampling method used in experiment one?

A

Opportunity sample

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12
Q

What is the procedure of experiment one?

A
  • Students spilt into 5 groups, 9 in each one
  • All groups shown the same 7 clips of car accidents
  • All students filled a questionnaire with the critical question ‘How fast were the cars going when they …. each other’
  • The 5 verbs used were ‘hit, smashed, collided, bumped and contacted’
  • Speed estimates were recorded in mph
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13
Q

What was the leading question in experiment one?

A

‘How fast were the cars going when they …. each other?’

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14
Q

What were the verbs used in experiment one?

A

hit, smashed, collided, bumped and contacted

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15
Q

What was a summary of the findings of experiment one?

A
  • ‘Smashed’ - estimated a mean speed of 40.8 mph
  • ‘Contacted’ - estimated a mean speed of 31.8 mph
  • Memory is not always reliable and can be distorted by leading questions
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16
Q

What were the conclusions of experiment one?

A
  • The speed estimates given by participants is because of the critical verb which influenced their response
  • Results could be due to critical word changing the participants memory so the accident is recalled differently
17
Q

What is the research method used in experiment two?

A

Lab experiment

18
Q

What is the experimental design used in experiment two?

A

Independent groups

19
Q

What is the sample used in experiment two?

A

150 students

20
Q

What is the sampling method used in experiment one?

A

Opportunity

21
Q

What is the sampling method used in experiment two?

A
  • Students split into 3 groups, 50 in each
  • Shown a short film that showed a multi-vehicle accident and were asked questions about it
22
Q

What question was each of the three groups asked about the multi-vehicle car accident in experiment two?

A

Group 1 - ‘How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?’
Group 2 - ‘How fast were the cars going when they hit each other?’
Group 3 - Were not asked any questions about he speed of the vehicles

23
Q

What were the participants in experiment two asked a week later?

A

‘Did you see any broken glass?’
There was no glass

24
Q

What was a summary of the findings of experiment two?

A
  • ‘Smashed’ condition were more than 2x as likely to report seeing broken glass than those in the ‘hit’ or no questions category
  • 31% reported seeing glass in ‘smash’
  • 14% reported seeing glass in ‘hit’
25
Q

What were the conclusions of experiment two?

A
  • The effects of leading questions is due to memory being altered
  • Severity of the verb used in the leading question altered the perception of the severity of the crash
  • Post event information integrates the original perception of leading questions to reconstruction between memory
26
Q

What is a strength in methodology of the experiment?

A

Research method (lab experiment) - internal validity was high due to controlled environment allowing a cause and effect relationship to be established

27
Q

What is a weakness in methodology of the experiment?

A

Ecological validity - participants watching videos of car accidents therefore not as realistic as watching in real life

28
Q

What is a weakness in the sample of the experiment?

A

Population

29
Q

What is a weakness of ethics within the study?

A

Deception - participants never told the aims of the study and therefore could not consent fully
Right to withdraw - Loftus was a professor at the university of the student therefore they may have felt obliged to take part

30
Q

What were the social implications of Loftus and Palmers (1974) study?

A

Law - knowledge to avoid the use of leading questions in interviews to stop misjustice
Economy - avoids false accusations in prison (£124 billion per year)