Factors affecting EWT

Question 1

Research study into the effects of anxiety on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.

Answer 1

Yerkes and Dodson argue that the relationship between accuracy of eyewitness testimony and stress is curvilinear rather than linear, an inverted U relationship.

Question 2

Another research study into the effects of anxiety on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.

Answer 2

Deffenbacher found that lower levels of anxiety produced lower levels of recall accuracy.

Question 3

Explain why the research findings into the effects of anxiety on EWT might be contradictory.

Answer 3

• When a crime is witnessed, a person becomes emotionally (anxiety) and physiologically (adrenaline release) aroused.
• Low levels of arousal are associated with low levels of performance (recall and accuracy of EWT). As arousal increases performance increases up to an optimum.

Question 4

Describe what research has told us about the effects of anxiety on the accuracy of EWT.

Answer 4

Studies support the idea that anxiety leads to higher accuracy of EWT:
Christianson + Hubinette found higher recall in witnesses to a real- life bank robbery.
Victims of the robbery (high anxiety) had better recall of the details of the robbery compared to bystanders (low anxiety).

Question 5

Evaluation of what research has told us about the effects of anxiety on EWT.

Answer 5

Low- stress witness had less accurate recall with 75%. The findings stress that anxiety does not have a negative effect on the recall of events or the accuracy of EWT, in fact it may enhance the accuracy of recall.