Cognitive - Loftus and Palmer

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Based off Bartlett’s theory that memory is reconstructed based on past events and beliefs

Question 2

aim

Answer 2

To investigate the effects of language (leading questions) on memory

Question 3

research method and experimental design

Answer 3

self report

independent measures

Question 4

sample

Answer 4

45 American students
Washington state uni
male and female

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

.Participant watched 7 clips of road safety videos
.In some they witnessed a staged car crash (Seattle Police Department)
.After watching, participants were given a questionnaire on what they’d seen
.All the questions were the same except 1 critical question
.”How fast were the cars travelling when they ……..?”
.5 groups of participants were each given a different verb
. contacted, hit, bumped, collided, smashed

Question 6

Independent variable

Answer 6

the verb used (contacted, hit, bumped, collided, smashed)

Question 7

Dependent variable

Answer 7

estimated speed of the vehicle (mph)

Question 8

controls

Answer 8

videos shown

questions (excluding critical question)

Question 9

results - accuracy of speed estimates

Answer 9

actual speed vs mean estimates
20mph         37.7mph
30mph         36.2mph
40mph         39.7mph
40mph         36.1mph

Question 10

results - speed estimates between verbs

Answer 10

smashed     40.8
collided       39.3
bumped      38.1
hit                34
contacted   31.8

Question 11

conclusions

Answer 11

.How you describe something can impact others’ view on it

.Leading questions can impact someones memory of an event

Question 12

explanation of results

Answer 12

.the verb may make it seem more/less intense

.verb may cause change in memory

Question 13

Ex 2 research method and design

Answer 13

self report

independent measures

Question 14

Ex 2 sample

Answer 14

Different group of 150 students
Washington state uni
3 groups of 50

Question 15

Ex 2 procedure

Answer 15

.Watched single staged car crash clip
.given questionnaire
.groups had same question as experiment 1, this time with the verb being: hit, smashed or not having the question (control group)
.one week later, all groups asked: “did you see any broken glass?”
.There was none in the clip

Question 16

Ex 2 controls

Answer 16

all asked broken glass question

same clip

Question 17

Ex 2 results - speed estimates

Answer 17

smashed hit

10.5mph 8mph

Question 18

Ex 2 results - broken glass

Answer 18

smashed 16 yes 34 no

hit 7 yes 43 no

control 6 yes 44 no

Question 19

Ex 2 conclusions

Answer 19

.leading questions can affect recall

.participants more likely to report seeing glass if they saw the word smashed

Question 20

Ex 2 explanation of results

Answer 20

2 types of info that make up recall
.original perception (what actually happened)
.info gained after the event (e.g verb used in question)
These merge to form our memory

Question 21

ethics kept

Answer 21

confidentiality
protection from harm
consent
right to withdraw

Question 22

ethics broken

Answer 22

debrief
deception
Informed consent

Question 23

internal reliability

Answer 23

yes - standardised procedure, lab experiment, controls - can be repeated

Question 24

external reliability

Answer 24

Study 1 - no - only 9 in each condition so not enough to suggest consistent effect
yes - study supported by study 2
Study 2 - yes - 50 in each condition

Question 25

internal validity

Answer 25

no - Study 2 had 1 week gap so could be affected by external factors
no - demand characteristics

Question 26

ecological validity

Answer 26

no - prepared to watch clips so not representative of real car crash

Question 27

population validity

Answer 27

no - limited age range, better memory

yes - both genders used so not androcentric

Question 28

ethnocentric

Answer 28

yes - only USA

no - cognitive process, unlikely to differ in other cultures