EWT Flashcards
what is the EWT?
recollection of an event by a witness after a period of time
what is a schema?
set of information built of the world that constantly changes and adapts
what did Bartlett suggest about memory?
that all memories are reconstructions of the original
how can memory be influenced?
- schemas
- misleading questions
- post event discussion
- anxiety or state of arousal
how do schemas effect memory?
they fill in the blanks so create errors within the reconstructions
what do misleading questions do to effect memory?
suggest a desired answer
summarise the loftus and palmer study
45 pts
shown videos of traffic accidents
“how fast were the cars going when they ____ into each other”
smashed =40.8mph
what different verbs were used in the loftus and palmer study?
smashed, hit, collided, bumped and contacted
summarise the loftus and zanni study
Pts asked “did you see a/the broken headlight?”
17% said yes to the
7% said yes to a
when the headlight wasn’t broken
FALSE MEMORIES
Research + of leading q’s
loftus and zanni or loftus and palmer
increase internal validity
establish cause and effect
validity - of leading q’s
lab
generalisability - of leading q’s
students not general pop
what is post event discussion?
when witnesses discuss what they have seen with others which can contaminate their memory of the event
what are the factors of Post event discussion?
retroactive interference
media coverage
conformity (fit in and be correct)
repetitive interviewing (can create subtle differences due to reconstructing the memory each time)
summarise the Gabbet et al study
60 students(Aberdeen) 60 adults control group tested independently experiment group= co-witnesses] co-witnesses had seen a different video of a little girl shop lifting some had not seen her do it
71% co witnesses recalled unseen information
60% said she was guilty even though they had not seen her commit the crime
research + post event discussion
Gabbert et al
research - post event discussion
lab
no anxiety like a real court room
didn’t actually witness the event
practical application + post event discussion
witnesses are kept apart
witnesses don’t watch other testimonies
can’t discuss if needed to rebuttal with anyone out side the case if media coverage cannot watch anything on it
what does Yerkes and Dodson’s law suggest? (graph)
The Yerkes-Dodson law, performance increases with physiological or mental arousal (stress) but only up to a point which is the optimum level of performance
what is weapon focus?
witness focuses on central details like a tunnel vision and not anything else e.g face
what factors could cause someone to be anxious?
- anxious personality
- threat or danger
summarise the loftus and burns study
1 group violent film boy shot
2 group non violent scene
2 recalled less than 1
summarise Yuille and cutshawl study
witnesses that are closer to the shooting of a thief were the most accurate in recall compared to witnesses that are further away
Research + anxiety in EWT
loftus and burns
internal validity=higher reliability
