Effects of anxiety on EWT Flashcards
What is anxiety
A negative state of high arousal
What is the negative effect of anxiety on EWT
Anxiety prevents us paying attention to important cues so recall is worse
What is the key study in the negative effect of anxiety on EWT
Johnson and Scott - Participants thought they were taking part in a lab experiment. While in the waiting room participants in the low-anxiety condition heard a casual conversation in the next room then saw a man leave with hands full of grease on his hands and holding a pen. The next condition they heard a heated argument then saw a man leave the room covered in blood holding a knife
What did they ask after the Johnson and Scott study
What were the results on key study show on the negative effects on anxiety and EWT
Participants after the study were asked to pick out the man who waked out the room out of 50 photos
49% from condition 1 identified the man with grease and a pen
Only 33% from condition 2 remembered the man covered in blood holding a knife
Tunnel theory argues people have an enhanced memory for central events. Weapon focus as a result of anxiety
What is the positive effect of anxiety on EWT
Anxiety triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response increasing alertness. This may improve memory as we are more aware of cues
What is they key study on the positive effect of anxiety on EWT
Yuille and Cutshall - Conducted an actual study of a shooting taken place in Vancouver. The shop owner shot the thief dead. 13 witnesses took part
They were interviewed 4-5 months after the incident. These were then compared with the original interviews. Accuracy was determined by the by the number of details reported also rating how stressed they were during the incident and lastly if they has emotional problems after
What was the results of the Yuille and Cutshall and what did they shown on the effects of anxiety on EWT
Witness recall was very accurate with little change in recall. Participants who reported to be the most stressed had the highest and most accurate recall
Suggests anxiety doesn’t have a detrimental effect on EWT and may make us more aware to key details
What is the Yerkes - Dobson effect
U shape
Has to be a optimal level of anxiety which is maximum point of accuracy
Lower levels of anxiety produce lower levels of accuracy but as anxiety increased accuracy increases. However if it goes past the optimum level of anxiety becoming too anxious will decrease levels of accuracy
How would you evaluate the effects of anxiety on EWT
- Unusualness not anxiety
+ support for the negative effects
+ support for the positive effects
Evaluate the effects of anxiety on EWT
- Unusualness not anxiety
- May not have tested the anxiety.
- Reasons the participant may have focused on the weapon is because they were surprised at what they saw rather than scared.
- Pickle conducted an experiment using scissors, a wallet, a handgun and raw chicken in a hairdressing video. EWT was more accurate in the high unusualness conditions.
- Suggests weapon focus is due to unusualness not anxiety so tells us nothing about the effects of anxiety on EWT
Evaluate the effects of anxiety on EWT
+ support for negative effects
- One strength is evidence that anxiety has a negative effect on accuracy of recall
- Time valentine and Mesout supported weapon focus through anxiety in the London dungeons labyrinth
- They used an objective measure (heart rate) to divide participants into low or high anxiety groups. The study shown anxiety disrupted the recall on details about the actor in the labyrinth
- Suggests high levels of anxiety does have a negative effect of EWT
Evaluate the effects of anxiety on EWT
+ Support for positive effects
- Strength as it shows anxiety can have a positive effect on accuracy of recall
- Psychologists interviewed 58 witnesses to an actual robbery. Some witnesses were directly involved (high anxiety) some where indirectly involved (lower anxiety). Recall was 75% across all participants however the high anxiety participant were the most accurate.
- confirms anxiety does not reduces accuracy of recall in EWT
- However the study was conducted 15 months after the incident so lack of control over variables (post-event discussion could have taken place)
