Factors Affecting EWT

Question 1

Define eye witness testimony

Answer 1

Ability to remember the details of events like accidents and crimes which they have personally observed. Accuracy can be affected by factors like misleading info, leading questions and anxiety.

Question 2

Outline Loftus & Palmers 1974 study into misleading info (part 1)

Answer 2

• 45 / students / 7 films in lab / questionnaire / “how fast were the cars going when they ____ each other”
• smashed , collided , bumped , hit , contacted
• smashed = 40.8 , contacted = 31.8

Question 3

Outline Loftus & Palmers 1974 study into misleading info (part 2)

Answer 3

• 150 / 3 groups / 1 min vid of car accident.
• smashed , hit , no questions about speed
• went home for week , “did you see any broken glass”
• smashed = yes16/no34 , hit = yes7/no43 , control = yes6/no44

Question 4

Evaluate loftus & palmers study into misleading info.

Answer 4

+lab experiment (high control)
+practical application (police interviews)
-low ecological validity
-low population validity (american undergrad students)

Question 5

Outline Gabber et al 2013 study into post event discussion

Answer 5

• Same vid of crime / filmed from two views / asked either to discus or no discussion.
• 71% reported acts they didn’t see but picked up whereas control was 0%

Question 6

Evaluate Gabber eat al’s study into post event discussion

Answer 6

+practical application

• low ecological validity
• lab experiment (high control)

Question 7

Define anxiety

Answer 7

a HIGHTENED state of emotional and physical arousal including worried thoughts and feeling of tension

Question 8

Outline Loftus’ two studies into anxiety (1987)

Answer 8

• Video of restaurant robbery / c1 thief c2 no weapon / monitored eye movements.
• C1 fixed on gun / less accurate recall.
• argument with 2 people / greasy pen Condition & bloody knife Condition.
• accurately recall pen man (49%) only 33% of knife.

Question 9

Evaluate loftus’ studies into anxiety

Answer 9

+lab experiment
+practical application (interviewing anxious witnesses)
-ethical issues
-low ecological validity

Question 10

Explain contradictory evidence for leading questions and anxiety

Yuille & Cutshall (1986)

Answer 10

• 13/armed robbery/Canada/interviews 4-5 months later/armed robber stole money and guns, two shots in back/ asked to account the incident & follow up questions asked/ two misleading questions on Loftus’ technique.
• accurate detail/ misleading questions had no effect/most deeply distressed had most accurate recall