Factors affecting eye witness testimony (Memory) Flashcards

Memory

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1
Q

What is anxiety?

A
  • An unpleasant emotional state where we fear that something might happen. It occurs in stressful situations, and can be accompanied with physiological arousal (increased heart rate, shallow breath).
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2
Q

What is the weapon focus effect?

A
  • Where the arousal may focus on more central details of the attack (e.g. weapon), than the most peripheral details (what was happening, what the perpetrator looked like etc.)
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3
Q

What is the research to support the weapon focus effect?

A

Johnson and Scott (1976):
- Participants were asked to wait outside the lab, and they ‘overheard’ what they thought was a genuine exchange.
- Condition 1 –> heard an amicable conversation about equipment failure and then a man came out with greasy hands holding a pen.
- Condition 2 –> heard a hostile exchange and the sound of breaking furniture and then a man came out holding a bloody knife, covered in blood.
- Both groups were then shown 50 photographs and asked to identify the person leaving the lab –> they were informed the person may/may not be in the photographs.

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4
Q

What is the findings of Johnson and Scotts study?

A
  • Those in condition 1 correctly identified the target 49% of the time.
  • Those in condition 2 correctly identified the man 33% of the time.
    In conclusion, Loftis claimed that the participants exposed to the knife had higher levels of anxiety and were more likely to focus their attention on the weapon –> confirming the weapon focus effect.
  • Therefore, the anxiety associated with seeing a knife reduced the accuracy of eye witness testimony.
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