Factors Affecting EWT

Question 1

3 types of factors effecting EWT

Answer 1

Post event information

Stress and Arousal

The Weapon effect

Question 2

Post event information description

Answer 2

Memories can be confabulated

Often individuals are interviewed after a long period of time it can impact what they thought they saw.

Sources such as media, other witness, lawyers or police effect the recall of memory and therefore EWT

Question 3

Theory that supports PEI

Answer 3

Reconstructive memory
Bartlett 1932

Shorten
Omitt
Familiarise
Transform

Question 4

What is the miss information effect in PEI

Answer 4

Exposure to miss leading post event information made accuracy fall below change levels

Question 5

Evidence for PEI

Answer 5

Loftus and Palmer
- found participants were impacted by leading questions.
Shows how EWT can be confabulated and how constancy in recall may differ between EWT

Yullet cultate
- flash bulb memory where you remember the event clearly as if it was happening right now. However this may be the rehearsal of information in MSM.

Question 6

Alternative explanation of Post Event Information

Answer 6

Stress and arousal

Question 7

Application of post event information as an explanation of change of EWT

Answer 7

• cognitive interview should be used to ensure that memories are actually reconstructived to improve condistantcy.
• however PEI doesn’t take into account individual differences in EWT
• as well as this the evidence of schemas is unscientific with no way of observing due to it being hypothetical

Question 8

Strengths and weaknesses of Post Event Information as an explanation of factors effecting EWT

Answer 8

It is backed up by scientific studies such as Loftus and Palmer that have scientific credibility.

However it can be seen as reductionist as it doesn’t take into account individual differences, seeing the cause of the change in memory as only being due to the effect of sources such as Media or other eye witnesses.

That being said it does take into account ID as it uses the theory of reconstructive memory which is based on schemas, which are unique to each individual.

Question 9

Stress and arousal as a factor effecting EWT

Answer 9

Yerkes (Dodson law 1908)
That everyone has an optimum level of stress intill it goes over and starts to impact recall.

This means that if it was a particularly stressful crime memory from EWT may not be as accurate as usual.

Question 10

Stress and arousal evidence

Answer 10

Valentine and Mesout
- stress does impact recall, therefore inconsistencies in EWT can be explained as people going over their optium point.

Yullet and catshall
Can’t explain why all participants can so vividly recall their memories of a real bank robbery.

Question 11

Strengths and weaknesses of stress and arousal as a factor effecting EWT

Answer 11

It can explain individual differences in memory recall based on their optimum stress and arousal point.

However it can be difficult to measure peoples optimum stress level therefore cause and effect can’t be established only correlation.

That being said it may still be useful to explain gender differences in recall rates.

Question 12

Application of stress and arousal model as a factor effecting EWT

Answer 12

Cognitive interview
- as if it was a particularly stressful crime the EWT may not be as accurate as usual. So should have less weight than other evidence

Question 13

Alternative of stress and arousal as a factor effecting EWT

Answer 13

Post event information

Question 14

The Weapon effect as a factor effecting EWT

Answer 14

If a weapon is used in the offence this will effect the eye witnesses ability to accurately recall information, as people concentrate of the weapon and exclude other details of the crime.

Weapon causes stress has changed their attention

Question 15

Evidence of the weapon effect

Answer 15

Loftus and Palmer

Found that there were more inconsistencies when a gun was used rather than w check book in the restaurant scene

Question 16

Application of the weapon effect

Answer 16

EWT may be inaccurate or a gun was used so have less weight in the trial compared to other evidence

Question 17

Strengths and weaknesses of the weapon effect as an explanation for factors effecting EWT

Answer 17

Some cultures have more or less desensitisation to weapons, there for they are likely to be less stressed if they are more desensitised making there EWT more reliable in comparison.

However the evidence is a laboratory experiment which lacks mundane realism.

That being said they are classed as scientific.

However people’s reaction to a weapon will be impacted by schemas (ID)

Question 18

Alternative to the weapon effect as a factor effecting EWT

Answer 18

The use of conative interview or stress and arousal