Loftus & Palmer

Question 1

What year was this experiment done?

Answer 1

1974

Question 2

What was the key theme?

Answer 2

Memory

Question 3

Background - what was Loftus interested in?

Answer 3

• Fragility of memory (how easily we forget info)
• Validity of eyewitness testimony

Question 4

Background - what did Loftus believe could influence memory of an event?

Answer 4

Stress and the way interviews are carried out

Question 5

Define schema theory

Answer 5

Ability to retain info and demonstrate this through behaviour

Question 6

Define reconstructive memory

Answer 6

Way in which our biases and prejudices can unconsciously lead us to have inaccurate memories

Question 7

Define leading questions

Answer 7

Question that suggests what answer is desired

Question 8

Aim

Answer 8

To investigate effect of language on memory

Question 9

What research method was used in the study? How do we know?

Answer 9

Lab experiment
Controlled setting and Iv manipulated by researcher

Question 10

How was data collected in the study?

Answer 10

Self report - questionnaire

Question 11

Sample in exp.1

Answer 11

45 students from Washington
5 groups of 9

Question 12

IV in exp.1?

Answer 12

5 verbs used in question:
hit
collided
smashed
contacted
bumped

Question 13

What was the question in exp.1?

Answer 13

How fast were the cars going when they - each other?

Question 14

DV in exp.1?

Answer 14

Estimated speed of car in videos

Question 15

Procedure in exp.1?

Answer 15

Shown 7 staged vids (Seattle Police Safety Department)
Lasted 5-30secs
4/7 had known speed
Different order each time
Given questionnaire after each clip (give account and answer questions)

Question 16

Why is self report the key way of collecting data in the cognitive area?

Answer 16

Is the only way to study thought processes

Question 17

Results from exp.1

Answer 17

Smashed 40.8
Collided 39.3
Bumped 38.1
Hit 34.0
Contacted 31.8

Question 18

Conclusions from exp1

Answer 18

People not good at estimating speed of cars
Form of question does change answer given by witness

Question 19

Explanation of results from exp1: response bias

Answer 19

Word in critical question biases p to give different speed estimate

Question 20

Explanation of results from exp1: memory change

Answer 20

Word in critical question changed the memory of how fast the car went

Question 21

Experimental design in exp2?

Answer 21

Independent measures

Question 22

Describe sample in exp2

Answer 22

150 students from washington
3 groups of 50

Question 23

Procedure in exp2 (stage 1)

Answer 23

Clip (1min) multiple car crash (4secs)
Answered question:
-speed of cars when hit?
-speed of cars when smashed?
-not about speed

Question 24

Procedure from exp2 (stage 2)

Answer 24

Week later
10 more questions including
“did you see any broken glass”

Question 25

IV in exp2?

Answer 25

3 conditions:
hit
smashed
control

Question 26

Controls in exp2?

Answer 26

video used
time between testing
critical question

Question 27

DV in exp2?

Answer 27

No of p who said they remembered seeing broken glass

Question 28

Results in exp2 (how many said they saw broken glass)

Answer 28

Smashed 16p
Hit 7p
Control 6p

Question 29

Conclusions from exp2

Answer 29

Form of question does change witness memory

Question 30

Explanation of findings

Answer 30

2 things make up our memory of a complex event:
Own perception - what you think happened
External info - content given after event

Question 31

Which ethical guidelines did they uphold and how?

Answer 31

Consent - agreed to take part in memory experiment

Question 32

Which ethical guidelines did they break and how?

Answer 32

Deception - not told specifics
Protect from harm - may have been upset from videos

Question 33

Is the study ethnocentric?

Answer 33

Only applicable to washington students
Could be argued memory is universal so doesn’t matter

Question 34

Discuss internal reliability

Answer 34

Is standardised and replicable - same questions for people in same conditions and same timescales

Question 35

Discuss external reliability

Answer 35

Large sample so is consistent effect
9 per condition in exp1 may not be enough

Question 36

Discuss internal validity

Answer 36

Could be demand characteristics from leading questions
Very controlled

Question 37

Discuss external validity

Answer 37

Population - bad (all students from USA)
Ecological - bad (video was fake)