EWT

Question 1

Innocence Project USA (2000)

Answer 1

Individuals later exonerated by DNA – 70% involved EW misidentification

Question 2

Yerkes-Dodson law (1908)

Answer 2

Possible curvilinear relationship between arousal and memory (e.g Deffenbacher, 1983)
o Inverted U
Therefore, high arousal on stress would lead to lower efficiency of memory and vice versa but there is an optimal

Question 3

Morgan et al 2004

Answer 3

o Face memory in those undergoing miltary survival school training
o 2x realistic interrogations – low vs high stress
o Memory test 24hr later
o Correct identification = 68% low stress and 29% high stress
o Order effect accounted for

Question 4

Loftus et al 1987

Answer 4

o Weapon focus effect
 Reduced EW identification where a weapon is present
 But may be due to unusualness rather than threat/emotion (Pickel, 1988)
 Some studies show accuracy in field (Yuille & Cutshall, 1986)
 Fawcett et al (2016) - robust but only under very specific conditions. Largely absent from field studies and archival research

Question 5

Loftus & Palmer, 1974

Answer 5

o Post event misinformation
 How fast was the car when it smashed/collided with the tree?
 Greater speed estimates for ‘smashed’ vs ‘hit’

Question 6

Schooler & Engstler-Schooler, 1990

Answer 6

o If gave verbal description, performed worse on later recognition face task
o Supported by pre-registered direct replication (Alogna et al , 2014) and for young and older adults (Holdstock et al, 2022)

Question 7

Wells and Bradfield (1998)

Answer 7

o Confirming feedback can inflate eyewitness’s confidence in their identification even when incorrect. Confidence is not a reliable indicator of accuracy

Question 8

Lindsay and Wells (1985)

Answer 8

o Sequential lineups can reduce false identifications compared to simultaneous

Question 9

Cognitive interview (Fisher & Geiselman, 1992)

Answer 9

• Report everything
• Recreate context
• Change order
• Change perspective

Question 10

Evaluation

Answer 10

• Fisher et al (1990)
  o Increased number of statements by 46% and where truth known accuracy increased to 90%
• Geiselman & Fisher (1997) 40 lab and field studies , 25-30% more correct info from CI HOWEVER less effective over longer periods
• Groeger (1997) using retrieval context does not aid recognition

Question 11

Loftus and Zanni 1975

Answer 11

Misinformation effect
Question wording did you see a broken headlight? compared to did you see THE broken headlight?
influences eye witness reports

Question 12

Kassin et al 2010

Answer 12

Suggestive questioning during police interrogations can inadvertently lead to false memories.

Question 13

Morgan et al 2004 crit ev

Answer 13

Strengths:
High ecological validity due to the realistic, high-stakes environment.
Provided direct insights into the effects of stress on memory.

Limitations:
Sample consisted of military personnel, limiting generalizability to civilians.
Ethical concerns related to inducing stress, even in a controlled setting.

Conclusion: Stress negatively impacts eyewitness memory, underscoring the need to consider stress levels when assessing the reliability of testimony in high-pressure situations.

Question 14

Loftus et al 1987 crit ev

Answer 14

Strengths:
Introduced the weapon focus effect, a widely accepted concept in eyewitness research.
Clear operational definitions and controlled conditions.

Limitations:
Lack of ecological validity: Watching a simulated event does not fully replicate the stress of witnessing a real crime.
Simplified scenarios may not reflect the complexity of real-world crimes.