EWT: Anxiety

Question 1

Weapon focus effect

Answer 1

Attention spotlight drawn to dangerous objects
Prevents perception of other objects

Question 2

Anxiety= worse memory

Answer 2

Johnson + Scott (1976)
IV1: greasy pen (low anx.)
IV2: bloody knife (high anx.)
DV: ID of criminal accuracy

Findings:
Pen-> 49% recalled accurately
Knife-> 33% recalled accurately

Conc: WFE

Question 3

Anxiety = improved memory

Answer 3

Christainson + Hubinette (1993)
58 bank robbery witnesses: 4-15 months after event
IV1: victim of crime (bank teller)
IV2: bystander (customer)
DV: detail matched to CCTV of crime

75%- accurate (victims reporting more anxiety had better recall)
Conc: semantic/episodic memory formation better when anxious

Question 4

Yerkes Dodson Curve: (1908)

Answer 4

Relationship between emotional arousal + performance

Lower anxiety- lower recall accuracy
Recall accuracy= better with anxiety up to a certain point