EWT: Misleading information

Question 1

What is misleading information ?

Answer 1

incorrect information given to a witness after an event

Question 2

What are leading questions ?

Answer 2

how the wording of a question may lead or mislead to give a certain answer

Question 3

What did Loftus and Palmer study ?

Answer 3

• 45 participants
• watched a clip of a car accident
• asked a question
• each question had a different verb about the impact
• e.g (smashed, collided, contacted)
• highest speed guessed = smashed (mean of 40.5 mph)
• lowest speed guessed = contacted (mean = 31.8 mph)

Question 4

What are the 2 reasons why leading questions influence EWT ?

Answer 4

Response bias = wording of questions doesn’t influence memory but it influences how we answer
Substitution = the wording foes alter and change someones memory

Question 5

What was a research on post-event discussion ?

Answer 5

• placed in Paris
• watched a video of the same crime from different points of view
• one could see details the others couldn’t
• participants then discussed before completing an individual recall test
  Findings: 71% of participants recalled aspects they saw in the video
• in the control group there was 0% inaccuracy
• shows influence happens through discussion

Question 6

Why does post-discussion effect EWT ?

Answer 6

• memory contamination = discussion leads to testimony being altered. They combine with their memories
• memory conformity = witnesses go along with each other to win NSI + ISI but the memory stays unchanged

Question 7

What is a strength of Misleading information ?

Answer 7

Real-world application:
- Has important uses in the criminal justice system.
- If an EWT is wrong there are very serious consequences,
- Police officers now have to be careful about the questions they ask
- Psychologists are asked to be expert witnesses in trials
- Explain the limits of EWT

Question 8

What are the limitations of misleading information ?

Answer 8

Evidence against substitution:
- asked participants misleading questions following a video
- accuracy for central details were higher than peripheral details
- attention was focused on central details
- weakens the substitution explanation because the memory was not changes or altered

Evidence against memory conformity:
- Skagerberg and Wright
- Showed their participants film clips
- In on the muggers hair was dark brown, in the other it was light brown
- After discussion they often reported a mix ( medium brown)
- Shows memory is distorted through contamination rather than the result of memory conformity