Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Misleading Information Flashcards
What is eyewitness testimony (EWT)?
The ability of people to remember details of events (such as crimes) they have observed
Misleading information
Incorrect information given to an eyewitness usually after the event. It could be in the form of leading questions or post-event discussion
Leading questions
A question which, because of the way it’s phrased, suggests a certain answer. Possibly leads to response bias or substitution
Post-event discussion
Witnesses discuss what they have seen with co-witnesses or other people. Possibly leading to memory contamination/distortion or memory conformity
Loftus and Palmer (1974) procedure
45 American students watched a clip of a car accident and were then asked a question about the speed of the car, manipulating the verb used (eg. How fast were the cars going when they hit/contacted/bumped/collided/smashed?)
Loftus and Palmer (1974) findings
Mean estimated speed for the verb smashed was significantly higher (40mph compared to 31 for contacted), suggesting leading questions affect EWT
Gabbert (2003) procedure
Pairs watched videos of the same crime but from different perspectives. Both participants (co-witnesses) then discussed what they had seen before individually completing a test of recall
Gabbert (2003) findings
71% of p’s recalled aspects of the event that they didn’t see but what picked up in the post-event discussion (compared to 0% in a control group with no discussion), suggesting post-event discussions affects EWT
Strengths of misleading information
- Real world application to criminal justice system (eg. Psychologists can educate juries on the effect of leading questions)
- Gabbert’s study had good population validity (eg. Found little difference between two different populations)
Limitations of misleading information
- Loftus & Palmer’s study lacks ecological validity (eg. In a real car crash, witnesses will either see a small amount through peripheral vision or be directly involved)
- Evidence challenging memory conformity (eg. Participants recalled a blend, suggesting memory is distorted through contamination)