Core Study 5- Loftus and Palmer (C)

Question 1

Background

What is Eyewitness Testimony?

Answer 1

‘legal concept’- name given to evidence given in an open court

It relies on witness’ memory

Often given by bystander, victim or accused themself

Question 2

Is eyewitness testimony always reliable?

Answer 2

No- recent research shows there are factors which make it unreliable

Question 3

Elizabeth Loftus particularly focuses on effects of language and memory recollection. What 2 types of info does she suggest affects memory of an event?

Answer 3

-information gained at the time of an event
-information gained after an event has happened

Question 4

What are leading questions?

Answer 4

Questions that prompt/ encourage the answer wanted by using leading language in the question

Question 5

Experiment 1

What was the aim of Loftus and Palmer’s first study?

Answer 5

-To test hypothesis into whether language used in eyewitness testimony can alter memory

They aimed to show: leading questions could distort eyewitness testimony accounts and have a confabulating effect (account would become distorted by cues)

Question 6

What was the experimental design and type of experiment of both experiments?

Answer 6

Independent measures design, Labatory experiments

Question 7

Experiment 1

What did the sample consist of?

How was the sample collected?

Answer 7

45 students from University of Washington

Opportunity sampling

Question 8

Experiment 1

What were the independent variables of the experiment?

Answer 8

Critical Verb used in Critical (leading) question
-Contacted
-Hit
-Collided
-Bumped
-Smashed

Question 9

Experiment 1

What was the dependent variable?

Answer 9

The mean speed estimates from participants (mph)

Question 10

What were the control variables?

Answer 10

-Same 7 car crash clips shown from Evergreen Safety Council from Seattle Police Department
-Same questionnaire shown

Question 11

Experiment 1

How was the procedure carried out?

Answer 11

-particpants watched the 7 car crash clips then given a questionnaire

Question 12

Experiment 1

What did the questionnaire ask participants to do?

Answer 12

-describe event freely and provided a list of 10 questions
-these were all filler questions except the critical question

Question 13

Experiment 1

What was the highest mean speed estimate?

Answer 13

‘Smashed’- 40.5mph

Question 14

Experiment 1

What was the lowest mean speed estimate?

Answer 14

‘Contacted’- 31.8mph

Question 15

Experiment 1

What did L+P conclude about changes in mph?

Answer 15

-Unsure whether changes were a result of response bias (using verbs to inform repsonses) or memory distortion (verbs genuinely distorted memory of event)

Question 16

Experiment 2

What was experiment 2 soley focusing on the most?

Answer 16

Conclusions of exp 1- repsonse bias or memory distortion?

Question 17

Experiment 2

What was the aim of the experiment?

Answer 17

To investigate whether the critical verb ‘smashed’ would cause particpants to misremember seeing broken glass, in comparison to using ‘hit’

Question 18

Experiment 2

What was the sample for this experiment?

quantity, where, how

Answer 18

150 students from Washington Uni
Opportunity sampling

Question 19

Experiment 2

What was the experimental design?

Answer 19

Lab experiment,
Independent measures design

Question 20

Experiment 2

What was the IV?

Answer 20

Verb used:
‘Smashed’ group
‘Hit’ group
‘Control’ group

Question 21

Experiment 2

What was the DV?

Answer 21

Whether participant saw broken glass or not

Question 22

Experiment 2

What were the control variables?

Answer 22

-Same multiple car, car crash clips
-Same 2 questionnaires given

Question 23

Experiment 2

How was the first part of the experiment carried out?

What did questionnaire 1 ask?

Answer 23

Participant shown 4 second car crash clip, then given questionnaire 1 immediately after clip (3 groups- ‘smashed’, ‘hit’, control)

Describe clip in own words, included critical question to estimate vehicle speed

Question 24

Experiment 2

What did the second part of the procedure consist of?

Answer 24

Particpants returned 1 week later and completed questionnaire 2
-Asked ‘Did you see any broken glass?’

Question 25

Experiment 2

What were the response statistics for ‘yes’ to critical broken glass question?

In terms of the 3 groups

Answer 25

‘Smashed’- 16
‘Hit’- 7
Control group- 6

Question 26

Experiment 2

What were the response statistics for ‘no’ to the critical question?

Answer 26

‘Smashed’- 34
‘Hit’- 43
Control- 44

Question 27

Experiment 2

What did L+P conclude from experiment 2?

What is the reconstructed hypothesis concluded?

Answer 27

Two kinds of info create a person’s memory of an event
-info obtained from seeing an event (during)
-info supplied after an event (after)

Over time, info merges and creates ‘one memory’