Factors affecting accuracy of eyewitness testimony: Anxiety Flashcards
What does anxiety have a strong effect on?
Recall accuracy
Anxiety can affect eyewitness recall in both positive and negative ways.
What is the negative effect of anxiety on recall known as?
Weapon focus
Anxiety can lead to a focus on the weapon, reducing recall for other details.
Who conducted research on the effects of anxiety on eyewitness testimony in 1976?
Craig Johnson and William Scot
Their study involved participants in low and high anxiety conditions.
What did participants in the high-anxiety condition see in the 1976 study?
A man holding a knife covered in blood
This was part of the heated argument scenario.
What percentage of participants who saw the man with the pen were able to identify him?
49%
This contrasts with only 33% for those who saw the man with the knife.
What theory suggests that people have enhanced memory for central events under stress?
Tunnel theory of memory
This theory relates to the focus on central details during high anxiety.
Who conducted a study on the accuracy of eyewitness accounts following a shooting in 1986?
John Yuille and Judith Cutshall
Their study involved real witnesses to an actual shooting incident.
What was the accuracy of witnesses who reported the highest levels of stress in Yuille and Cutshall’s study?
About 88%
This was compared to 75% accuracy for those with lower stress levels.
What does the Yerkes-Dodson Law illustrate about anxiety and performance?
An inverted U relationship
It shows that optimal arousal leads to maximum performance, but too much anxiety can hinder recall.
According to Kenneth Deffenbacher, what happens to recall accuracy with varying levels of anxiety?
It initially increases, then drastically declines after an optimal point
This explains contradictory findings regarding anxiety’s effects on memory.
Fill in the blank: Anxiety creates ______ in the body which can affect attention to cues.
physiological arousal
This arousal can hinder recall and attention to important details.
