Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Misleading Information

Question 1

What is eyewitness testimony (EWT)?

Answer 1

The ability of people to remember details of events (such as crimes) they have observed

Question 2

Misleading information

Answer 2

Incorrect information given to an eyewitness usually after the event. It could be in the form of leading questions or post-event discussion

Question 3

Leading questions

Answer 3

A question which, because of the way it’s phrased, suggests a certain answer. Possibly leads to response bias or substitution

Question 4

Post-event discussion

Answer 4

Witnesses discuss what they have seen with co-witnesses or other people. Possibly leading to memory contamination/distortion or memory conformity

Question 5

Loftus and Palmer (1974) procedure

Answer 5

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?)

Question 6

Loftus and Palmer (1974) findings

Answer 6

Mean estimated speed for the verb smashed was significantly higher (40mph compared to 31 for contacted), suggesting leading questions affect EWT

Question 7

Gabbert (2003) procedure

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Gabbert (2003) findings

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Strengths of misleading information

Answer 9

• 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)

Question 10

Limitations of misleading information

Answer 10

• 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)