Memory bk3- Eyewitness Testimony

Question 1

Eyewitness testimony

Answer 1

Evidence provided in court by a person who witnessed a crime, with a view to identify the perpetrator of crime

Question 2

Cause of inaccuracies

Answer 2

Anxiety
Leading questions
Post-event discussion

Question 3

Leading questions

Answer 3

Question that either by form or content suggests to the witness what answer is desired or leads them to desired answer

Question 4

Post-event discussion

Answer 4

Conversation between co-witnesses or interviewer and witness after crime has taken place which may effect a witness memory for the event

Question 5

Misleading information AO1

Answer 5

Loftus and palmer
Aim-test if language used in eyewitness testimony can alter memory
Experiment1- 45 students shown 7 films of different traffic accidents, after each ppt given questionnaire and asked to describe accident and answer specific q’s. Critical question - “how fast were the cars going when they hit eachother?” 4 groups given verbs “smashed, collided, bumped, or contacted” in place of hit
Smashed- mean speed estimate : 40.8
Collided- mean speed estimate : 31.8
Experiment2- new ppts divided into 3 groups, shown film of car crash lasting 1 minute asked q’s about speed, asked to return a week later and asked 10 q’s “did you see any broken glass” no broken glass but ppl who thought car travelling faster more likely to think theres broken glass, leading q changed actual memory ppt had of event

Question 6

Misleading info AO3

Answer 6

+replicable
Controlled conditions of lab experiments make it replicable and reliable
-lacks population validity
150 american students, less experienced drivers,unable to generalise results to other groups in population
-questionable ecological validity
Artificial environment

Question 7

Anxiety AO1

Answer 7

Loftus
Aim- see if anxiety would effect eye witness testimony
Procedure- 2 groups of ppts sit in waiting room, 1 group heard friendly conversation and a man exited carrying greasy pen. Other group heard shouting and smashed glass, man exited with bloody knife. Shown 50 photos asked to identify the man
49% accuracy recall of face - pen
33% accuracy recall of face - knife
High anxiety group focused more on weapon and so lost memory of face of man

Question 8

Anxiety AO3

Answer 8

+lab
Repeatable
-lacks ecological validity
-unethical
Deception,informed consent, protection from harm
-bank robbery study
Higher anxiety- better recall real life study more ecologically valid

Question 9

Cognitive interview

Answer 9

Procedure used by police to help eyewitness recall info be more accurate, series of memory retrieval and communication techniques

Question 10

Cognitive interview components

Answer 10

Mental reinstatement of original context
Report everything
Change order
Change perspective

Question 11

Mental reinstatement of original context

Answer 11

Interviewer encourages interviewee to mentally recreate physical and physiological environment of og incident

Question 12

Report everything

Answer 12

Interviewer encourages the reporting of every single detail even if it seems irrelivent

Question 13

Change order

Answer 13

Try alternative ways through the timeline of incident e.g. reversing order

Question 14

Change perspective

Answer 14

Interviewee asked to recall incident from multiple perspectives e.g. imagine how it would have appeared to other witness present at the time

Question 15

Cognitive interview AO3

Answer 15

+milne and bull supporting research
Interviewed ppts using report everything and mental reinstatement, recall higher when only using 1 individual component, cognitive interview techniques improves accuracy
+ lab experiment