Cognitive Classic Evidence Flashcards
What is the classic research within the cognitive approach refers?
Reconstruction of automobile destruction: an example of the interaction between language and memory
Who were the researchers within the cognitive research
Loftus and Palmer (1974)
What were Loftus and Palmer investigating?
The effects of leading questions on eye-witnesses memory
What are leading questions?
A question that suggests to the eye-witness what answer is desired or leads them to the desired answer
What is an eye-witness testimony?
Witnesses of a crime asked to give evidence in court
What was the aim of experiment one within Loftus and Palmer’s research?
To investigate if the speed estimates of participants were influenced by the verbs used i the questions aske
What was the aim of experiment two within Loftus and Palmer’s research?
To investigate whether leading questions simply bias a person’s response or actually alter the memory that is stored
What is the research method used in experiment one?
Lab experiment
What is the experimental design used in experiment one?
Independent groups
What is the sample used in experiment one?
45 students
What is the sampling method used in experiment one?
Opportunity sample
What is the procedure of experiment one?
- 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
What was the leading question in experiment one?
‘How fast were the cars going when they …. each other?’
What were the verbs used in experiment one?
hit, smashed, collided, bumped and contacted
What was a summary of the findings of experiment one?
- ‘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
What were the conclusions of experiment one?
- 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
What is the research method used in experiment two?
Lab experiment
What is the experimental design used in experiment two?
Independent groups
What is the sample used in experiment two?
150 students
What is the sampling method used in experiment one?
Opportunity
What is the sampling method used in experiment two?
- Students split into 3 groups, 50 in each
- Shown a short film that showed a multi-vehicle accident and were asked questions about it
What question was each of the three groups asked about the multi-vehicle car accident in experiment two?
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
What were the participants in experiment two asked a week later?
‘Did you see any broken glass?’
There was no glass
What was a summary of the findings of experiment two?
- ‘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’
What were the conclusions of experiment two?
- 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
What is a strength in methodology of the experiment?
Research method (lab experiment) - internal validity was high due to controlled environment allowing a cause and effect relationship to be established
What is a weakness in methodology of the experiment?
Ecological validity - participants watching videos of car accidents therefore not as realistic as watching in real life
What is a weakness in the sample of the experiment?
Population
What is a weakness of ethics within the study?
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
What were the social implications of Loftus and Palmers (1974) study?
Law - knowledge to avoid the use of leading questions in interviews to stop misjustice
Economy - avoids false accusations in prison (£124 billion per year)
