LS7 - Accuracy Of EWT - Misleading Information Flashcards
Eye Witness Testimony
An account given by people of an event they have witnessed - the ability to remember details of an event.
What Can EWT Accuracy Be Affecting By
Misleading Information
Leading Questions
Misleading Information
Incorrect information given to the eyewitness usually after the event i.e. post event discussion and leading questions.
Leading Questions
A question that suggests the desired answer to the witness and leads them to given an answer due to the phrasing of the question.
EWT Study Method
Loftus And Palmer - 45 students were shown a car accident. One group asked how fast the cars were, the other group was asked same question but instead of ‘hit’ it was ‘smashed’, ‘bumped’, ‘collided’, ‘contacted’
EWT Study Results
Loftus & Palmer - The verb ‘contacted’ lead to a 31.8mph mean whilst the verb ‘smashed’ lead to a 40.5 mph meap.
EWT Study Conclusion
Loftus And Palmer - When questions are leading, people answer in the direction the investigators want them to.
Post-Event Discussion
Witnesses to an event discuss what they experienced afterwards.
How Does Post-Event Discussion Affecty Accuracy
Memory Conformity - Witnesses pick up detail from EWTs as they want social approval or believe others are right
Memory Contamination - Witnesses mix information from other witnesses into their own memories.
Post-Event Study Method
Gabbert Et Al - Participants were put in pairs, they watched a video of a crime filmed from diffferent views and had discussions before being interviewed.
Post-Event Results
Gabbert Et Al - 71% of participants mentioned aspects of the video of they video they hadn’t seen, and 0% of participants in the control group.
Post-Event Conclusion
Gabbert Et Al - Witnessses will absorb information from other witnesses, either due to memory contamination/conformity.
Misleading Information Strengths
Well Controlled LAb Studies
Application To Real Life
Misleading Information Weaknesses
Watching a video is different to watching an actual event
Watching a stage event on video doesn’t cause anxiety and studies show slight anxiety can improve recall.
In real life, pariticpants are aware of serious consequences however there aren’t in studies so participants are likely to be motivated to be less accurate.
Demand characteristics may have occured as they may have guessed the emphaisised verb meant they were supposed to give a higher predicted speed.
Well Controlled Lab Studies (+)
EVs are easier to control, meaning the results are more valid, they are also easy to replicate and test for reliability e.g. Loftus & Palmer’s study can be replicated bares.
