loftus and palmr

Question 1

research method

Answer 1

• carried out controlled labratory experiments and these fulfil the scientific criteria of theory, control, evidence and replication

Question 2

data

Answer 2

• this study collected and reported quantitative data which enables results to be easily summarised
• comparison between conditions is easier with quantitative data rather than qualitative findings are presented
• quantitative data in her study which is highly reliable and objective
• it means that due to the objectivity of quantitative data Loftus can easily see if the numerical data bears any differences in the different verbs that Loftus used in the study with little influence of researcher bias. Unlike qualitative data which is rather subjective and requires the researchers to make assumptions about the data which may not necessarily be valid.

Question 3

what makes loftus and palmer unethical

Answer 3

• deception: the hypothesis about leading questions were not revealed and the distracter questions were used to further conceal the hypothesis

Question 4

ethical guidelines loftus and palmer upheld

Answer 4

• distracter question concealment was necessary to ensure that demand characteristcs did not affect the finding
• protection from harm: the car crashes from safety films did not contain any gruesome images. or any broken glass so it could not have upset the participants
• informed consent was given

Question 5

validity

Answer 5

• high validity as the procedure was a very controlled lab experiment and everything was standardised
• low construct validity as the participants knew that they were in a study which may create demand characteristics as they may have tried to affect the outcome of the study
• e.g. they may have thought that they were supposed to remember broken glass and so reported that they did when in fact they did not
• **low ecological validity: ** as the study was was carried out in lab conditions it may lack ecological validity
• high ecological validity: Loftus can be considered ecologically valid as parts of the study can be seen to reflect real life. For example Loftus used real life car accidents in the films that the participants observed. This is a strength because if the participant experiences the study in a realistic manner, they may act in a way which better presents how their memory would be influenced in real life, thus increasing the validity.

Question 6

reliability

Answer 6

• high internal reliability: uses highly controlled lab experiments. this study could be replicated highly reliable as she used standardised procedures such as having the same video clip of car accidents and asking the same critical question. This is a key strength because it means that extraneous variables are reduced due to the standardised procedures which ensured that the measure was consistent. Therefore the researchers can be more confident that the IV – the verbs, effected the DV – speed estimates.
• high external reliabiltiy: large enough sample to establish consistent effects

Question 7

ethnocentricism

Answer 7

-** not ethnocentric: **since cognitive processes such as reconstructive memory depend upon the physiognomy of our brain, we could argue that it is not ethnocentric since they are investigative cognitive behaviour which would be similar to every culture.

Question 8

how does lees study link to psychology as a science

Answer 8

• loftus and palmer carried out controlled laboratory experiments and these fulfil the scientific criteria of theory, control, evidence and repliction
• it also obtains objective data

Question 9

how is loftus and palmers research useful

Answer 9

• police applications: police can avoid using leading questions to avoid the memory to be distirted making answers dishonest as leading questions may change a memory for an importnat event

Question 10

situational

how does loftus and palmers study link to indvidual/situational

Answer 10

shows how the situation that they are put in, depending on the verb (leading question) that they have, their memory is impacted on it and their behaviour changes

Question 11

reductionist

how does loftus and palmers study link to reductionism/holism

Answer 11

it isolates a single factor (the wording of a leading question) to explain how memory can be influenced, neglecting other potential contributing factors that might impact eyewitness recall in a holistic manner.

Question 12

individual

how does loftus and palmers study link to indvidual/situational

Answer 12

each person understanding of miles per hour - students less experienced drivers - more easily swayed - more impressionable

Question 13

how does loftus and palmer link to the cognitive area

Answer 13

• as it is investigatice the cognitive process of memory
• it aimed to investigate the reconstructive memory, showing that information introduced after an event in the form of leading questions would have an effect on eye witnesses memory of the event

Question 14

key theme of loftus and palmer

Answer 14

memory

Question 15

how does loftus and palmer relate to the key theme

Answer 15

• provides empirical evidence into the effects of information received after the event on a persons memory of an event
• it is an experimental demonstation of the effcts of leading questins on eyewitness testimony and shows how memory is reconstructive in nature

Question 16

how does loftus and palmer change our understanding of key theme

Answer 16

Memory recall is formed using information from the initial event the memory was created in as well as post-event information.