Loftus and loftus 1987

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To see if subjects spend more time focussing on a weapon than an ambiguous object during an interaction and if this provides support for the weapon focus effect

Question 2

Participants

Answer 2

36 students aged 18-31 from washington

Question 3

How were the participants recruited?

Answer 3

Half PPS recruited through an add offering $3.50 for completing the study.
The other half were offered psychology credits for completing the study. PPS thought they were involved in an experiment about proactive interference.

Question 4

Describe the Procedure

Answer 4

All PPS shown a series of slides detailing the events of moving through a queue in a taco restaurant. These slides were identical for both groups except for one slide. The control group slide had person B in the queue handing a cheque over to the cashier and and he experience experimental group, pulls out a gun. Each slide shown for 1.5 seconds. Different depictions of person B were the dependent variable as PPS. Were layer asked to identify the person. Measure by 20 multiple choice faces questions which 7 related to the appearance of person B. Line up of 12 photos used by each PPS to identify person b follow ed by the given q confidence ratio (1-6). PPS eye fixations also measured to see what they focussed on most.

Question 5

Results

Answer 5

Answers to the questionnaire showed PPS in experimental group were only slightly less accurate than those in control group (51%-46%)

Line up data showed significant differences in the ability to identify person B. In the control group, 7 people (38.9%) able to identify person but only 2 in the experiment group could (11.1%)

Gun more focussed than cheque

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

As expected, PPS spent more time looking at the weapon and therefore had more difficulty licking the correct suspect.

Question 7

Strengths

Answer 7

Lab, controlled- standardised, increasing internal reliability and internal validity. This allows for cause and effect, making PAS. It is ethical, and reductionist

Question 8

Weaknesses

Answer 8

Standardised questionnaire - construct bias

Small sample - low external reliability - all from uni of Washington - ethnocentric and age biased - low in pop validity, and low in ecological validity situational, less useful