EWT: Anxiety

Question 1

Give a study on favour of anxiety having a negative effect

Answer 1

Johnson and Scott (1976): High-anxiety condition had a 16% lower recall rate than low anxiety condition.

Question 2

Give a study on favour of anxiety having a positive effect on recall

Answer 2

Yuille and Cutshall (1968) followed up 13 witnesses of a real crime after 5months in a real life shooting. People who ranked their anxiety high had an 11% higher recall than those who said it was low.

Question 3

What is the inverted-U theory

Answer 3

Yerkes-Dodson law says with moderate arousal yeilds the highest performance, this only takes into account physical anxiety

Question 4

Give 2 disadvantages of studies into anxiety.

Answer 4

Ethical issues: Johnson and Scott put people in a high anxiety situations, breaches BPS guidlines.
T: Psychological harm

Uncontrolled extraneus variables: In Yuille and Cutshall study as it was based on real events that could not control variables. Post even-disussions as demonstrated by Gabbert.