Loftus and Palmer Flashcards
Is memory like a camera?
No, memory is not like a camera.
Who conducted research on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?
Elizabeth Loftus
What factors does Elizabeth Loftus investigate in this research?
The factors that affect eyewitness testimony.
What is the aim of the investigation?
To investigate the effect of leading questions on eyewitness memory.
What is the main question being investigated?
Do leading questions distort (change) an eyewitness memory of an event?
What is the hypothesis of the study?
The strength of the verb used in the leading question will significantly affect participant reports of the speed of the crash.
What was the method?
2 laboratory experiments, each having an independant design
How many students participated in Experiment 1?
45 students
How many groups were formed in Experiment 1?
5 groups
How many students were in each group in Experiment 1?
9 students
How many students participated in Experiment 2?
150 students
How many groups were formed in Experiment 2?
3 groups
How many students were in each group in Experiment 2?
50 students
What was the first step in Experiment 1?
Participants watched a video of a car accident.
What did participants do after watching the video in Experiment 1?
They wrote an account of what they had seen.
What type of questionnaire did participants receive in Experiment 1?
A questionnaire that included the critical leading question.
How were participants divided in Experiment 1?
They were divided into 5 groups.
What was unique about the critical question in Experiment 1?
Each group received a different version of the critical question with varying verbs.
What verbs were used in the critical leading question in Experiment 1?
‘Contacted’, ‘hit’, ‘bumped’, ‘collided’, or ‘smashed’.
What was shown to participants in Experiment 2?
A film of a car accident.
What type of question did Group 1 receive in Experiment 2?
A leading question containing the word ‘hit’.
What type of question did Group 2 receive in Experiment 2?
A leading question containing the word ‘smashed’.
What was the role of Group 3 in Experiment 2?
Group 3 was a control group and asked no leading question.
What critical question was asked a week later in Experiment 2?
Did you see any broken glass?
Was there any broken glass in the film shown during Experiment 2?
No, there was no broken glass.
What verb had the fastest estimated speed in Experiment 1?
Smashed (40 mph)
What verb had the slowest estimated speed in Experiment 1?
Contacted (33 mph)
How many participants said they saw broken glass in Experiment 2?
-15 smashed said saw broken glass - 5 control saw broken glass - 10 hit said saw broken glass
What did L&P conclude about the verb used in the leading question?
The meaning of the verb (the semantics) had become integrated with the memory of the event, changing the memory and causing a false memory to be constructed.
What can alter our memory of an event after we have witnessed it?
What happens after we have witnessed the event can alter our memory of it.
