Eyewitness Testimony (EWT) : Misleading Information - MEMORY Flashcards
what is the experiment linked to this topic
Loftus and Palmer (1974)
what were the findings of Loftus and Palmer (1974)
language used in questioning/discussion after crime takes place can modify the memory of eyewitness
what is an eye witness
someone who has seen or witnessed a crime - usually at the time of the incident
what is an eye witness testimony
the ability of the person who saw the crime to remember the detail
what factors can sometimes effect an eye witness
misleading information from question
anxiety at time of event
who were the participants in Loftus and Palmer (1974)
45 students split into 5 groups
what were the groups shown (Loftus and Palmer - 1974)
7 clips of car accidents
what type of question were the groups asked afterwards (Loftus and Palmer - 1974)
A leading question where the verb changed
what was the least and most extreme verb used in the leading questions (Loftus and Palmer - 1974)
contacted and smashed
what was the mean estimate (mph) ppts made for ‘contacted’ and ‘smashed’ (Loftus and Palmer - 1974)
31.8 vs 40.8
why is the difference in mph estimates important (Loftus and Palmer - 1974)
31.8mph would mean no prison sentence whereas 40.8 mph would mean a prison sentence would be given
what were ppts asked in the follow up run of Loftus and Palmer (1974)
if they saw broken glass (there was none)
what were the findings of the follow up run
with the verb ‘smashed’ more ppts said they saw broken glass compared to ‘hit’ and the control group
what are our schemas
sensory information interpreted by the brain
what does expectations and prior knowledge sometimes do
information modification
