factors affecting EWT Flashcards
what are the factors that could influence EWT?
Leading questions
misinformation (schemas)
weapon focus
stress and anxiety
what are leading questions and why could they influence EWT?
leading questions are questions that lead an EW into thinking something happened when it did not - for example Loftus and Zanni asked if ppts had seen a broken headlight after watching a video of a car crash and there was an increased likelihood that ppts would report seeing one when there wasnt.
Leading questions are seen to distort the memory of an EW and this could then affect the testimony that they give as the info will be incorrect.
why does weapon focus affect EWT?
weapon focus is when a witness to a crime does not notice the details of the perpetrator due to the weapon that they are using - if the weapon is more unusual or more threatening then weapon focus is heightened.
this could mean that eye witnesses are more likely to miss important details of the crime and focus solely on the weapon that is used and not be able to recall any facts about the crime and if they could they could be wrong due to schemas.
what affect does stress and anxiety have on EWT?
stress and anxiety could actually have a positive affect on the recall of the memory of EW due to the Yerkes-dobson law. This states that there is an optimum level of stress and anxiety that could mean the witness remembers more.
what is the effect of post event information on EWT?
the information that we hear after we witness a crime can distort the events that we saw and remember of the events. this is why police must avoid using leading questions.
