EWT: Misleading Information

Question 1

Define eyewitness testimony.

Answer 1

Memory research investigating ppl’s ability to remember details of significant events e.g crime that they themselves have observed

Question 2

What 3 factors affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies?

Answer 2

1. Misleading info
2. Leading q’s
3. Anxiety

Question 3

Define:

1. Misleading info

2. Leading q’s

Answer 3

1. Incorrect info given to witness after event (i.e post-event info) - can be leading q’s or post-event discussion between co-witnesses
2. A question that encourages a desired answer

Question 4

Outline one study of the affect of leading questions on EWT.

Answer 4

1. Loftus + Palmer (1974)
2. 45 student ppts shown car accident clips
3. Questionnaire after each - had a leading question
   - “How fast were the cars going when they (verb) each other?”
4. Verb = e.g. hit, contacted, smashed
5. When verb= contacted, mean speed est = 31.8mph
6. When verb = smashed, mean speed est = 40.5 mph
7. Suggests leading q’s influenced mem of event

Question 5

What are the two explanations of why leading questions affect EWT? Outline them.

Answer 5

1. Response-bias explanation
   - wording doesn’t affect mem, but influences how they choose to answer even if they don’t believe it themselves.
2. Substitution explanation

• Loftus + Palmer (1974 - follow on exp)
• wording changed mem - ppts more likely to report seeing broken glass when the verb = “smashed” than “hit”

Question 6

Outline one study of the affect of post-event discussion on EWT.

Answer 6

1. Gabbert et al (2003)
2. Ppt pairs each watched vid of same crime but diff POVS
3. Allowed to discuss event then tested individ
4. 71% ppts wrongly recalled aspects of event they picked up in discussion (compared to control group)
5. Suggests EWT is affected by memory conformity

Question 7

What is post-event discussion? (PED)

Answer 7

Discussing event w cowitnesses/other ppl - contaminates mem of event

Question 8

Define memory conformity.

Answer 8

Witnesses going along w each other to win social approval or bc they believe themselves to be wrong and the others to be right

Question 9

Evaluate Loftus and Palmer (1974)

Answer 9

1. Str = Practical applis

• Loftus (1975) = police should be careful of how they ask q’s
• rely less on EWT, focus on more objective meths e.g. DNA testing
• improves legal system

2. Weak = Artificial stim

• Clips don’t induce same lvl of distress as IRL
• tells little about real EWT
• EWT may be more reliable than study suggests

Question 10

Give two general weaknesses of Loftus and Palmer (1974) and Gabbert et al (2003)

Answer 10

1. Answers may be influenced by demand charas

• Zaragosa + McCloskey (1989) - lab studies of EWT facilitate DC
• lowers validity

2. Studies don’t acc rep IRL EWTs

• Foster et al (1994) = EWT IRL has imp conse; not true for studies
• Inacc rep = low eco vali