Memory 4 | Factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony Flashcards
AO1 What is meant by misleading information in the context of eyewitness testimony
When eyewitness memory is altered by information they receive after the event such as leading questions or post-event discussion
AO1 What is a leading question
A question that is phrased in a way that may influence how the witness answers often suggesting a desired response
AO1 What did Loftus and Palmer (1974) investigate
They investigated the effect of leading questions on estimates of speed after a car crash
AO1 What was the method of Loftus and Palmer (1974)
Participants watched clips of car crashes and were asked how fast the cars were going when they smashed hit bumped collided or contacted
AO1 What were the results of Loftus and Palmer (1974)
The verb smashed produced a mean speed estimate of 40.5 mph while contacted produced the lowest estimate of 31.8 mph
AO1 What was the conclusion of Loftus and Palmer (1974)
Leading questions can distort memory influencing how events are recalled
AO1 What is an evaluation of Loftus and Palmer (1974)
It lacks ecological validity as watching video clips does not evoke the same emotional response as witnessing a real accident
AO1 What did Loftus and Zanni (1975) investigate
They investigated the effect of the definite article the on eyewitness memory
AO1 What was the method of Loftus and Zanni (1975)
Participants watched a video of a car accident and were asked did you see the broken headlight or did you see a broken headlight
AO1 What were the results of Loftus and Zanni (1975)
17 percent of those asked the broken headlight reported seeing it compared to 7 percent for a broken headlight
AO1 What was the conclusion of Loftus and Zanni (1975)
The wording of questions can influence memory recall by implanting false details
AO1 What is an evaluation of Loftus and Zanni (1975)
It may suffer from demand characteristics as participants could guess the aim of the study and alter their responses
AO1 What is meant by post-event discussion
When witnesses discuss an event after it occurs leading to potential contamination of their memories
AO1 What did Gabbert et al (2003) find in their study of post-event discussion
Participants who discussed the event were more likely to recall details they had not seen but had heard from their partner showing memory conformity
AO1 How can anxiety affect eyewitness testimony
Anxiety can have both positive and negative effects it can improve recall by increasing alertness but also impair recall due to stress
AO1 What is the weapon focus effect
The phenomenon where a witness focuses on a weapon in a crime scene reducing recall of other details due to anxiety
AO1 What did Yuille and Cutshall (1986) find in their real-life study on anxiety and EWT
They found that witnesses to a real shooting who experienced high anxiety had accurate and detailed recall months after the event
AO1 What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law in relation to anxiety and eyewitness testimony
It suggests that moderate anxiety improves recall while very low or very high anxiety impairs recall forming an inverted U-shaped relationship
AO3 What is a strength of leading questions research
It has real-world applications improving police interviews by promoting use of the cognitive interview to avoid leading questions and reduce wrongful convictions
AO3 What is a limitation of post-event discussion research
It may lack ecological validity as lab studies like Gabbert et al do not reflect the emotional arousal present in real crimes
AO3 What is a limitation of anxiety research in EWT
Findings are inconsistent with some studies showing anxiety impairs recall while others like Yuille and Cutshall show it can enhance recall
AO3 What is a strength of anxiety research in real-life settings
Some studies like Yuille and Cutshall have high ecological validity as they involve real crimes with genuine emotional arousal
