EWT Flashcards
who stated that memories are not accurate
‘snapshots’ of events?
Researcher Barlett (1932) stated that memories are not accurate
‘snapshots’ of events, rather ‘reconstructions’ influenced by active
schemas based on our previous experiences, moods, existing
knowledge, contexts, attitudes and stereotypes.
What are the two factors effecting EWT?
Leading questions - questions that increase the likelihood that an individual’s schemas will influence them to give a desired answer.
Key research on leading questions (Loftus & Palmer 1974, two experiments)
Post-event discussion – information given after an event with potential to
influence memory of it (this includes leading questions).
Key research on post-event discussion (Gabbert et al 2003)
Key Study 1: Loftus & Palmer (1974). Procedure
45 students shown 7 films of car accidents in a laboratory, ranging
from 5-30 seconds long.
After watching the film participants were asked to describe what had
happened as if they were eyewitnesses.
They were then asked specific questions, including the question
“About how fast were the cars going when they (smashed /
collided / bumped / hit / contacted) each other?”
Key Study 1: Loftus & Palmer (1974), type of experiment and sampling technique?
Type of experiment:
Lab experiment: IV = verb/wording of the leading question, DV = speed estimate reported by participants.
Sample:
Opportunity sampling: 45 American students from the University of
Washington.
Key Study 1: Loftus & Palmer (1974), findings?
Findings: The estimated speed was affected by the verb used. The verb implied information about the speed, which systematically affected the participants’ memory of the accident.
Participants who were asked the “smashed” question thought the cars were going faster than those who were asked the “hit” question.
Why do leading q’s affect EWT
Response bias:
The misleading information provided may have simply influenced the answer a person gave (a ‘response-bias’) but didn’t actually lead to a false memory of the event.
For example, the different speed estimates occur because the critical word
(e.g. “smash” or “hit”) influences or biases a person’s response.
Memory representation is altered:
The critical verb changes a person’s perception of the accident – some critical words would lead someone to have a perception of the accident
being more serious. This perception is then stored in a person’s memory of the event.
Key Study 2: Loftus & Palmer (1974), procedure?
Procedure:
150 student p’s viewed a video of a car crash.
50 were asked key q with the word ‘smashed’ in it, 50 with the word
‘hit.’ (control group not asked)
A week later, they were questioned about the event with the q ‘did
you see any broken glass,’ (there was none).
Key Study 2: Loftus & Palmer (1974), findings?
Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when
they smashed were more likely to report seeing broken glass.
Therefore, misleading information in the form of post-event
information can also affect memory recall of eyewitnesses.
Post-event discussion: Gabbert et al (2003), procedure?
Paired p’s watched a video of the same crime, but
filmed so each p could see elements in the event that
the other could not.
Both p’s discussed what they has seen on the video
before individually completing a test of recall
Post-event discussion: Gabbert et al (2003), findings?
71% of p’s mistakenly recalled aspects of the event that they could not see in the video but had picked up in the post event discussion.
Control group- no
discussion = no errors
Explanations for post-event discussion
According to source monitoring theory, memories of the event are
genuinely distorted. The eyewitness can recall information about the event
(accurate and inaccurate), but they can’t recall where it came from.
Was it from their own memory of the event or did they hear it from
someone else? This is known as source confusion.
Conformity theory, on the other hand, argues that eyewitness memories
are not actually distorted by post-event discussion. Instead, the
eyewitness’s recall appears to change only because they go along with
the accounts of co-witnesses.
They do this either to win social approval, or because they genuinely
believe other witnesses are right and they are wrong.
Strength of research into EWT?
P: A strength of all research into misleading information is that is has
important practical uses in the real world, where the consequences of
inaccurate EWT can be very serious.
E: For example, Loftus (1975) believes that leading questions can have such
a distorting effect on memory that police officers need to be very careful
about how they phrase their questions when interviewing eyewitnesses.
C: Therefore, this research can make an important positive difference to the
lives of real people through improving the way the legal system works.
Limitation into research for EWT (Experience)
P: A limitation of Loftus & Palmer’s study is that their participants watched
film clips of car accidents.
E: This is a very different experience from witnessing a real accident,
mainly because such clips lack the stress of a real accident.
C: This is a limitation because studies that use artificial tasks may tell us very
little about how leading questions affect EWT in case of real accidents or
crimes which casts doubt on validity.
Limitation into EWT research, (individual differences)
P: There is evidence that older people are less accurate than younger people
when giving eyewitness reports.
E: Anastasi & Rhodes (2006) found that people in age groups 18-25 and
35-45 were more accurate than people in the age group 55-78 years.
However, all age groups were more accurate when identifying people of their
own age group (own age bias)
E: This means that individual differences should be taken into account
when assessing the validity of eyewitness testimony accounts.
What is an Eye witness testimony?
The ability of people to remember the details of
events, such as accidents and crimes that they have observed.
Accuracy of EWT can be affected by factors such as misleading information, leading questions and anxiety.
What is the def for Misleading information?
It is incorrect information given to the eye witness
after the event. It can take many forms, such as leading questions and
post-event discussion between co-witnesses or other people.
What is a Leading question?
it is a question which suggests a certain answer because of
the way it is worded/phrased.
What is Post-event discussion?
This occurs when there is more than one witness
to an event. Witnesses may discuss what they have seen with co-witnesses or with other people. This may influence the accuracy of each witness’s recall of the event.
