criminal key question (16)

Question 1

what is your criminal key question?

Answer 1

is EWT too unreliable to trust?

Question 2

para 1

Answer 2

AO1
-EWT is an account given by people of an event they have witnessed
-it is important in a court case as, in some cases, EWT may be the only evidence if there is no DNA evidence
-it is important that society questions its reliability so that the wrong person does not get convicted (eg. Ronald Cotton)

Question 3

para 2

Answer 3

AO2
-the misinformation effect refers to the tendency for post event info to interfere with the memory of the original event. it can occur when the original info and misleading info blend together, or when the misleading info overwrites the original memory of the event.

AO3
-eg. Loftus and Palmer found that EWT is not accurate

-Loftus and Palmer’s research had unrepresentative sampling

Question 4

para 3

Answer 4

AO2
-reconstructive memory suggests that our recall can be distorted by confabulation, simplification, rationalisation, and transformation.
-schemas are tiny parcels of knowledge that can alter memories
-subjectivity bias is when stereotypical schemas impact memory recall (eg. Duncan 1976, 13% labelled white man as violent, whereas 70% labelled black man as violent)

AO3
-eg. Loftus Buggs Bunny expt shows post event info decreases accuracy of recall

-however, Yuille and Cutshall found that EWT remained accurate, even months after the event took place

Question 5

para 3

Answer 5

AO2
-weapon focus refers to the concentration of a wtness’s attention on a weapon, the result is a reduction in ability to remember other details of the crime.
-the weapon holds the most threat therefore our attention goes toward it as a survival instinct

AO3
-Johnson and Scott (1976) showed weapon focus decreases accuracy of recall (pen and ink weapon vs pen knife and blood - 33% correctly identified man w/ paper knife whereas 49% identified man w/ pen)

-however, Johnson and Scott’s research had low ecological validity

Question 6

para 4

Answer 6

AO2
-a leading question is a question that contains info previously unknown to the witness
-eg. Loftus and Palmer (expt 2) “did you see any broken glass?” - 19% said yes despite there being no glass