Loftus & Palmer (1974) Experiment 1

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate whether the use of different language (specifically, different verbs) in a leading question influences the answer that is given by an eyewitness regarding a video showing a car accident and memory of the event.

Question 2

Participant design

Answer 2

independent measures

Question 3

Independent variable

Answer 3

the verb used in the question

Question 4

Dependent variable

Answer 4

whether or not participants claimed to have seen broken glass

Question 5

Details of the film clips

Answer 5

• staged crashes
• 7 clips
• questionnaire about each clip
• segments from longer driver’s education films borrowed from the Evergreen Safety Council and the Seattle Police Department
• 5-30 seconds long

Question 6

Sample

Answer 6

45 students

Question 7

Task details

Answer 7

1. Ps watched film
2. Ps given questionnaire asking them to ‘give an account of the accident you have just seen’ and then answer a series of questions about the accident
3. the critical question was the one that interrogated the P about the speed of the vehicles

Question 8

How was recall measured?

Answer 8

Mean speed estimate

Question 9

Results

Answer 9

VERB - MEAN SPEED ESTIMATE (MPH)
Smashed - 40.5
Collided - 39.3
Bumped - 38.1
Hit - 34.0
Contacted - 31.8