Factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony - Misleading information Flashcards
What is misleading information?
Incorrect information given to an eyewitness usually after the evnt, which can distort what people remeber about the event.
Describe the key study by Loftus and Palmer on the car crash clips. - leading questions.
ppts were shown clips of car accidents and then were asked questions.
The critcial question - ‘How fast were the cars going when they hit each other?’
Word ‘hit’ was subsituted with contacted, collided, bumped and smashed. - 5 groups.
Mean estimated speed for contacted - 31.8 mph.
smashed - 40.5mph.
Shows how leading questions alter the memory witnesses have of events.
Describe the key study by Gabbert on post-event discussion.
Studies ppts in pairs.
Each ppt watched a vid in different points of view.
Only one ppt could see title of the book carried by young woman.
71% PPTS recalled aspects of the event that werent in there specific vid but when they were talking to their partner.
Define leading questions.
Questions phrased in such a way to guide us towards a specific answer.
Explain memory contamination,
Memories become altered or distorted because they combine ifnormation from other witnesses with their own memories
What is memory conformity?
Witnesses go along with each other to win social approval because they think others are right.
What is post-event discussion?
When there is more than one witness to an event. Witnesses may discuss what they’ve seen with other people,affecting accuracy of EWT.
What is response bias explanation?
Wording of question has no effect on memories but just influences how we answer question.
What is post-event discussion?
When there is more than one witness to an event. Witnesses may discuss what they’ve seen with other people,affecting accuracy of EWT.
What are the evaluations of Misleading Information?
Research into misleading information has important practical uses in the criminal justice system, Limitation of the subsitution explaination is that EWT is more accurate for somes aspects of an event than others, Limitation of the memory conformity explaination is evidence that post-event discussion actually alters EWT.
What are the evaluations of Misleading Information?
Research into misleading information has important practical uses in the criminal justice system, Limitation of the subsitution explaination is that EWT is more accurate for somes aspects of an event than others, Limitation of the memory conformity explaination is evidence that post-event discussion actually alters EWT.
Evaluation: Research has real world applications.
Strength: Research has real-world applications.
Concequences of inaccurate EWT can be very serious.
Loftus believes leading questions have such a distorting effect on memory,
that reasearch on this has led to police officers changing their questioning technique in order to ovoid effect of misleading questions.
Shows that the research can help improve the way the legal systemworks, by protecting people from unreliable EWT.
Evaluation: (counterpoint) practical applications may be affected by issues with research.
(counterpoint) practical applications may be affected by issues with research.
Loftus and Palmer’s ppts watched clips in lab
Does not reproduce same stress with witnesses a real event.
Foster pointed out that what ppts remember has important concequences in real life,
but their responses in research do not matter the same say,
so less motivated to be accuarte.
sugguests that ewt MAY BE MORE DEPENDABLE THAN MANY STUDIES SUGGUEST.
