lesson 8: influence of misleading questions

Question 1

what are leading questions

Answer 1

asked in a way to suggest an expected answer

Question 2

Loftus and Palmer, 1974, Reconstruction of Automobile Destruction

Answer 2

accuracy of memory for complex events, affects of leading questions
45 students, shown short video clips
split into 5 groups, 9 Pp each
all asked: ‘about how fast were the cars going when they … each other?’
groups given different word: smashed, collided, bumped, hit, contacted
more extreem verbs= higher estimated speed
smashed= 41mph contacted= 32mph
accuracy of EWT= influenced by leading questions

Question 3

Loftus and Palmer, 1974, Reconstruction of Automobile Destruction
EVALUATION

Answer 3

+highly controlled
establish cause and effect
+practical applications
police know not to use leading questions
-lab study
lacks ecological validity
can’t generalise
-anxiety not same as real life situation

Question 4

Loftus & Palmer, Second experiment/ research of effect of leading questions on EWT

Answer 4

aim, see if leading questions effected recall after a wee
150 students watch short film, showed multi-vehicle car accident and asked about it
% into 3
1:’how fast when hit’, 2: ‘smashed’ 3: not asked about speed
week later asked ‘did you seen broken glass’ (there wasn’t any)
some claimed they saw the glass
leading questions effect EWT, Pp recalled events that didn’t happen

Question 5

Loftus and Palmer, EWT research, contradicting research, Yuille and Cutshall

Answer 5

13 witnesses robbery in Canada
interviewed 4 months after with 2 misleading questions
Pp= accurate recall
post-event information not affected by misleading questions in real life