Loftus and Palmer

Question 1

1. The study by Loftus and Palmer used film clips of car accidents. Outline two ways that this might affect the ecological validity of the study. (4)

Answer 1

• It is unlikely that ps will find themselves observing film clips and answering a question on speed in real life situations. The experiment was carried out in a lab with a high level of control meaning that it is an artificial situation and this will make it difficult to apply findings to everyday life.
• Ps know that they are taking part in a lab experiment and this may affect their response to the question in terms of Demand characteristics. They will usually want to help the experimenters by giving them the results they think they want.

Question 2

2. Loftus and palmer concluded, at the end of the first experiment, that there were two possible explanations for why leading questions affect the accuracy of memory. Outline these two explanations. (4)

Answer 2

• Response bias factors – the different speed estimates occur because the critical word influences or biases a person’s response.
• The memory representation is altered – the critical word changes a person’s memory so that his/her perception of the accident is affected.

Question 3

3. Identify two conclusions that can be drawn about memory from the study of Loftus and palmer. (4)

Answer 3

• Memory of an event is affected by the way a question is asked and this effect is not due to response-bias factors but because leading questions actually alter the memory a person has for the event.
• Memory is determined by two sources: one’s own perception gleaned at the time of the original and external information supplied after the fact (such as leading questions).

Question 4

4. a) Loftus and Palmer asked participants to estimate the speed of two cars in a traffic accident. They used different verbs in the questions they asked. Name two of the verbs.
   (2)

b) What was the effect of using the different verbs you identified in a)? (2)

Answer 4

• Smashed, hit, contacted, bumped, collided.

• The groups of participants that received the more severe sounding verb in their question estimated a higher speed estimate than those groups who received a less severe sounding verb.
• Smashed: 40.8mph collided: 39.3mph, bumped: 38.1mph, hit: 34.0mph and contacted: 31.8 mph.

Question 5

5. Loftus and Palmer used the same set of standardised procedures with each participant. Describe two of these procedures. (4)

Answer 5

• They controlled the films that the Ps saw – everyone saw the same films, in the same room and were questioned about the films in the same (with the exception of the manipulated IV, the verb used in speed estimate question)
• Also asked the questions immediately after the films were shown and the questions were in the form of written questionnaire meaning that no variance in the way the questions were asked or any feedback from experimenter was possible.

Question 6

6. a) Explain the difference between the two experiments in the study by Loftus and Palmer. (2)
   b) Explain why a control group was used in this study? (2)

Answer 6

• The aim of experiment 1 was to see the effect of leading questions on memory of an event. The aim of the second experiment was to determine which of the two explanations of experiment 1 is most appropriate; response-bias factors or the memory representation is altered.
• A control group was used so that the results of the experimental condition could be compared to baseline data where no IV was manipulated. Also researchers are able to observe any or the extent to which the verbs affects a person’s memory.

Question 7

7. Loftus and Palmer concluded that leading questions do affect memory. Describe two findings that support this conclusion. (4)

Answer 7

• In experiment one; the group that received the word ‘smashed’ estimated a higher speed than the other groups 40.8mph. The group given the word ‘contacted’ estimated the lowest speed 31.8mph. This shows that ps referred to this word to help them estimate the speed at which the cars were travelling.
• In experiment two, 16 ps answered ‘yes’ to the question ‘Did you see any broken glass?’ when they had heard the word ‘smashed’ a week earlier whilst 7 said ‘yes’ in the ’hit’ condition. This also shows that the ps referred to the verb they heard a week earlier in order make their judgement.

Question 8

Sample

And weakness

Answer 8

• In experiment one 45 student ps were used. In experiment two a new group of 150 student ps were used.
• One limitation of the sample is the extent to which the sample is rep/gen. It may be that students are not representative of the general population.
• Students will usually be young and it is possible that people’s memories are better when they are young.
• Students are used to taking in lots of information and then being asked questions about it, people who have not studied in many years may be less used to this.
• Students may be less experienced drivers than the general population and may therefore be less confident in their ability to estimate speed. This may have led them to be more influenced by the words in the questions.
• Students may be more susceptible to demand characteristics, especially if they are students of the researchers conducting the study.