Memory - EWT

Question 1

What 3 key factors influence EWT accuracy?

Answer 1

1. anxiety
2. post-event discussion
3. leading questions

Question 2

Draw a diagram of Yerkes-Dodson’s law for effects of anxiety on EWT

Answer 2

Suggests moderate anxiety is associated with better recall than very high or very low anxiety

Question 3

Who researched effects of anxiety on EWT?

Answer 3

Loftus (1979) weapon focus experiment

Question 4

What did Loftus (1979) do?

Answer 4

Volunteer ppts arrived in a room, in an adjoining lab (deception)
Condition 1 - man emerged holding a pen with grease on his hands
Condition 2 - ppts heard breaking glass, man emerged holding a paper knife covered in blood

Question 5

What did Loftus (1979) find?

Answer 5

ppts asked to identity man from 50 photos
Condition 1 - 49% accuracy
Condition 2 - 33% accuracy
Loftus had monitored ppts eye movement - found presence of weapon = attention drawn to weapon, and away from other things e.g. person’s face

Question 6

Evaluate Loftus (1979) experiment

Answer 6

✅High ecological validity
✅Supports Y-D BUT no low arousal condition
⛔️Ethical issues
⛔️Was poor recall due to anxiety or something else? E.g. were extraneous variables controlled?