FACTORS INFLUENCING EWT: RELIABILITY

Question 1

What is weapon focus?

1

Answer 1

• Witness’ attention drawn to perpetrator’s weapon, >able to recall other details of the crime

Question 2

Evaluate factors influencing reliability of EWT

3

Answer 2

Loftus and Palmer, ppt shown video clips of car accidents, found their estimate of how fast cars were travelling = relative to form of q they were asked and verb used e.g. ‘smashed’ = highest estimate (40.8mph). + ^likely to report broken glass

Yuille and Cutshall interviewed witnesses to real-life shooting 4-5months after crime, found produced accurate accounts (didn’t reconstruct crime) even w 2 leading q’s in 2nd interview. Self reported anxiety = 5/7, ^anxious

Johnson and Scott, ppt overheard conversation in room, man appeared w greasy hands holding pen (ctrl). Other ppt heard argument, man emerged w blood stained knife. Control condition = 49% identification from 50 photos, weapon con = 33%

Question 3

What is post-event info and what can it be based on?

2

Answer 3

• Info that arrives after event that may distort EW’s mem of what happened
• Schema of event - ‘effort after meaning’ (Bartlett)

Question 4

What is a leading question and what can it cause?

3

Answer 4

• Questions that lead person to a specific answer
• Trigger schemas
• Incorrectly access info provided in q, not what they remember

Question 5

What does tunnel theory suggest?

1

Answer 5

• Noticing weapon produces selective attention which excludes other competing info

Question 6

What did Deffenbacher conclude (anxiety)?

2

Answer 6

• Moderate anxiety = helpful to memory

- EW anxiety continues to rise beyond peak of Yerkes Dodson curve = >correct recall