Factors affecting accuracy of eyewitness testimony: Misleading information Flashcards
What is misleading information research?
Research focused on how leading questions can influence eyewitness testimony.
What are leading questions?
Questions that suggest a particular answer, potentially biasing the response.
Who conducted the study on misleading questions in 1974?
Elizabeth Loftus and John Palmer.
What was the procedure in Loftus and Palmer’s experiment?
Participants watched video clips of accidents and were asked questions about them.
What was the critical question asked in the Loftus and Palmer experiment?
About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?
What verbs were used in the critical question of the Loftus and Palmer study?
- hit
- contacted
- bumped
- collided
- smashed
What were the mean estimated speeds for the verbs ‘contacted’ and ‘smashed’?
- contacted: 31.8 mph
- smashed: 40.5 mph
What is the response-bias explanation?
It suggests that the wording of a question influences how participants decide to answer.
What does the substitution explanation propose?
The wording of a leading question changes the participant’s memory of the event.
What was a key finding in Loftus and Palmer’s second experiment?
Participants who heard ‘smashed’ were more likely to report seeing broken glass.
What is post-event discussion (PED)?
When eyewitnesses discuss their experiences and memories after an event.
Who studied the effects of post-event discussion in 2003?
Fiona Gabbert et al.
What was the procedure in Gabbert et al.’s experiment?
Participants watched videos of the same crime from different viewpoints and discussed what they saw.
What percentage of participants in Gabbert et al.’s study mistakenly recalled aspects they did not see?
71%.
What was the corresponding figure in the control group with no discussion?
0%.
What is memory conformity?
When witnesses align their memories with others, often to gain social approval.
What is memory contamination?
When co-witnesses’ memories are altered or distorted due to discussions with each other.
Fill in the blank: The critical verb __________ altered the participants’ memory of the incident.
[leading question]
True or False: Memory conformity implies that the actual memory of the event is unchanged.
False.
Strengths of misleading questions
Real word application- Important practical uses in the criminal justice system as policed trained to not ask misleading questions + psychologists asked to explain misleading dueing court trials
Weakness
The research lacks external validity as in Loftus and Palmers study participants were asked to watch a video of a car crash instead of experiencing an actual crash. Factors like emotions may effect the results
