Loftus and Palmer Experiment

Question 1

What was the aim of experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 1

They wanted to demonstrate that leading questions could influence an individuals’ memory of the event.

Question 2

What is an eyewitness testimony (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 2

An account given by an eyewitness of a crime.

Question 3

What can affect our memories as an eyewitness (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 3

• Info you get during or after an event
• Schemas and expectations (our understanding of events)

Question 4

Describe the sample for experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer).

Answer 4

• 45 Students
• From University Of Washington
• No indicative age

Question 5

Describe the procedure for experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer).

Answer 5

• Participants watch 7 traffic accident clips from a driver safety film
• After clips, participants got a questionnaire about the clips
• Each participant got a critical question “About how fast were the cars going when they … into each other”
• The critical question could have 1/5 verbs.
• Participants responded in mph

Question 6

What were the 5 verbs in experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 6

Smashed, Collided, Bumped, Hit and Contacted

Question 7

What were the mean estimate results for each verb in experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 7

Smashed= 40.8mph
Collided= 39.3mph
Bumped= 38.1mph
Hit= 34.0mph
Contacted= 31.8mph

Question 8

What were the conclusions drawn from experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 8

• The wording of the question had an effect on the estimated speed given
• The more severe- sounding verbs received a higher estimate in mph
• The verb ‘Smashed’ received an average of 9mph higher estimated than ‘Contacted’

Question 9

What is the IV in experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 9

The verb used in the critical question

Question 10

What is the DV in experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 10

Mph estimated for the speed of the car

Question 11

What was the research method used in experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 11

Laboratory experiment

Question 12

What was the research design used in experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 12

Independent measures design

Question 13

What type of data was collected from experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 13

Quantitative Interval data

Question 14

List some controls from experiment 1 (Loftus and Palmer).

Answer 14

• Everyone watched the same videos
• The critical question was the same for everyone, except for the verb

Question 15

What was the aim for experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 15

To investigate if participants that were asked the ‘Smashed’ question would be more likely to report seeing broken glass in a filmed accident after a week.

Question 16

Describe the sample for experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer).

Answer 16

• 150 students
• From the University of Washington
• Different students to experiment 1

Question 17

Describe the procedure for experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer).

Answer 17

• Participants watched 1 min clip with 40 secs of a car accident
• Had a questionnaire about clip
• 2/3 of the groups had a critical question with 1 of 2 verb changes
• Participants went home for 1 week
• They returned and were asked “Did you remember seeing any broken glass?” among other questions.

Question 18

What were the 3 groups/ 2 verbs from experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 18

• ‘Smashed’
• ‘Hit’
• No critical question

Question 19

What were the results from experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 19

Saw broken glass:
- Smashed= 16
- Hit= 7
- Control= 6
Didn’t see broken glass:
- Smashed= 34
- Hit= 43
- Control= 44

Question 20

What were the conclusions drawn from experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 20

• Language used after you witness an event can cause an actual memory change and can distort how you remember something
• Eyewitnesses aren’t always reliable

Question 21

What is the IV for experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 21

The verb that the people heard in the critical question.

Question 22

What is the DV for experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 22

If they think they saw broken glass or not (there was no broken glass).

Question 23

What was the research method used in experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 23

Laboratory experiment.

Question 23

What was the research design used in experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 23

Independent measures design.

Question 24

What type of data was collected in experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 24

Quantitative Nominal data.

Question 25

List some controls used in experiment 2 (Loftus and Palmer)?

Answer 25

• Everyone had a week in between watching the videos and the broken glass question
• Everyone was asked the same question about broken glass

Question 26

Are the samples from Loftus and Palmer’s studies representative?

Answer 26

They are unrepresentative;
- It is a very ethnocentric sample (all from same uni)
- Lacks population validity as it is assumed students in a university have higher cognitive abilities and will perform better in a memory study.

Question 27

How reliable were Loftus and Palmer’s studies?

Answer 27

They have high levels of reliability as they could be easily repeated.

Question 28

How valid were Loftus and Palmer’s studies?

Answer 28

They have low ecological validity because experiencing a car crash is not similar to watching a clip of one

Question 29

How useful were Loftus and Palmer’s studies?

Answer 29

They are useful:
- It can influence the interviewing and questioning processes in the criminal justice system.
- It also proves that eyewitnesses are unreliable

Question 30

How ethical are Loftus and Palmer’s studies?

Answer 30

• Lack of protection against distressing clips of car accidents
• All students gave consent
• All student’s privacy was respected and identities were confidential
• Protection from distressing clips as they’re from a driving safety programe