Loftus and Palmer - 1974 Flashcards
What is a leading question?
a question that prompts or encourages the answer wanted
What is a schema?
a mental framework that helps organise, process, and store information - they act as filters to perception and recall
How might new information change memory?
new information may reshape or distort original memory
What is an eye witness testimony?
an account given by people who were witness to an event
What factors would affect the accuracy of an eye witness testimony?
- stress
- memory
- transference
- schema errors
- weapon focus
What would cause schema errors?
- past experiences
- assumptions
- stereotypes
How do leading questions relate to Loftus and Palmer?
They aimed to study the effect of leading questions on recall of memory
How do leading questions affect memory?
- introduce new info
- activate incorrect schemas
What was the aim?
to investigate how information provided after an event such as the use of leading questions influences a witness’s memory of that event
What is the sample?
195 students
What are the weaknesses of the sample?
- small = not representative
- lacks population validity
- age bias (all students)
- students may have fresher driving experience (newly qualified) = more aware and cautious driving
What is the method?
lab experiment
What are the strengths of the method?
- high control - less impact of EVs
- standardisation = more reliable
- able to establish cause and effect (causality)
What are the weaknesses of the method?
- lacks ecological validity (artificial environment)
- more likely to have demand characteristics
What was the design?
independent measures
What are the strengths of the design?
- controls order effects
- reduced demand characteristics
How many experiments were there?
2
What was the IV in experiment 1?
the verbs
What is the critical question for experiment 1?
‘How fast were the cars going when they hit/smashed/collided/contacted/bumped into each other?’
What was the DV in experiment 1?
the estimated speed of the cars
What was the sample in experiment 1?
45 students from Washington University
What is a weakness of this sample from experiment 1?
culture bias
What were the materials for experiment 1?
- 7 film clips (same ones for each participant)
- questionnaire
How many of the clips were staged?
4/7
What were the clips of?
car crashes
What were the range of speeds of the cars in the clips?
1 clip = 20mph
1 clip = 30mph
2 clips = 40mph
How many different conditions of the IV were there?
5
What were the 5 verbs?
hit, smashed, collided, contacted, bumped
How many participants were in each condition of the IV?
9 per condition
How long did the experiment last?
1 hour 30 mins
How frequent were the questionnaires?
after each clip
What did the questionnaires require?
asked to describe the accident and then a presented with a series of questions
How did researchers avoid order effects in both conditions?
counter-balancing
What was the mean estimate of the speed when the verb ‘smashed’ was used?
40.5
What was the mean estimate of the speed when the verb ‘collided’ was used?
39.3
What was the mean estimate of the speed when the verb ‘bumped’ was used?
38.1
What was the mean estimate of the speed when the verb ‘hit’ was used?
34.0
What was the mean estimate of the speed when the verb ‘contacted’ was used?
31.8
What was the IV in experiment 2?
the wording of the question in the questionnaire
What were the 3 conditions of the IV?
- hit
- smashed
- no speed
What was the DV in experiment 2?
whether or not participants saw broken glass (Yes/No)
What is the sample in experiment 2?
150 students
How many participants were in each condition of the IV?
50
What were the materials for experiment 2?
- 1 minute film clip (4 second multi-car crash)
- questionnaire
What did the questionnaire ask?
to describe accident and then a series of questions
What was the critical question in experiment 2?
About how fast were the cars going when they smashed/hit each other?
What happened one week after the study in experiment 2?
a follow up critical question
What was the follow up critical question in experiment 2?
‘Did you see any broken glass?’
How many participants responded ‘yes’ when asked about the broken glass in the ‘smashed’ condition?
16
How many participants responded ‘yes’ when asked about the broken glass in the ‘hit’ condition?
7
How many participants responded ‘yes’ when asked about the broken glass in the control condition?
6
How many participants responded ‘no’ when asked about the broken glass in the ‘smashed’ condition?
34
How many participants responded ‘no’ when asked about the broken glass in the ‘hit’ condition?
43
How many participants responded ‘no’ when asked about the broken glass in the control condition?
44
What type of data was gathered in this study?
quantitative
What are the strengths of this type of data?
- objective
- easier to analyse and compare
What are the weaknesses of this type of data?
- cannot establish the reasoning behind behaviours
- limits usefulness
What was a control for both experiments?
counterbalancing
What are some weaknesses of the results?
- response bias
- memory distortion
What is a response bias?
When participants are unclear what speed to estimate so the verb gives a clue on whether to estimate high or low
What are the practical applications of this study?
- authorities - helps improve rate of successful crime convictions
What are the conclusions of this study?
- the way which questions are phrased can affect the way events are remembered
- wording of memory can distort memory
