Factors Effecting Eyewitness Testimony: Misleading Info

Question 1

What is misleading info?

Answer 1

Incorrect info usually given after the event, such as leading questions or post-event discussion between co-witnesses or other people.

Question 2

3 parts to misleading info

Answer 2

Post-event discussion
How leading questions affect EWT
Studies

Question 3

Evaluation for misleading info

Answer 3

Useful RL application: police more careful not to ask leading questions
Artificial tasks: Just film clips meaning there is no stress involved
Individual differences: Older people less accurate than younger people
Demand characteristics: May have made things up to please researcher

Question 4

Leading questions research

Answer 4

Loftus and palmer car speed: Participants asked to watch a film clip and then asked leading questions with different verb choices for different groups e.g. “Crash” “hit” and “Collided”
Contacted: 31.8mph
Smashed: 40.5mph

Question 5

Why do leading questions affect EWT?

Answer 5

Response bias explanation- doesn’t affect their memory but influences how they answer. In another study they did they mentioned the word “smashed” before they watched the clip which then lead people to talk about broken glass

Question 6

Post-event discussion

Answer 6

Gabbert et al studied participants in pairs and each watched video of same crime but from different points of view and different things and then discussed to each other what they had seen before test of recall.
= 71% recalled something they hadn’t seen but heard from their partner
= memory conformity