Memory : Eye Witness Testimony Flashcards
Define eye witness testimony:
The ability of people to remember the details of events which they have observed themselves.
Define misleading information:
Incorrect information given to an eyewitness, usually after the event.
Define leading questions:
A question which because of the way it is phrased suggests a certain answer.
Define post event discussion:
Occurs when there is more than one eye witness in an event where they discuss what they have seen.
Define anxiety:
A state of emotional and physical arousal which can effect the accuracy of an eye witness testimony.
Define cognitive interview:
A method of interviewing eye witnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories.
What psychologist done research on the impact of leading questions on eye witness testimony?
Loftus and Palmer
Explain the method of Loftus and Palmer’s research on the impact of leading questions on eye witness testimony:
- 45 participants were put into 5 groups watched film clips of car accidents.
- Ps were asked questions about how fast the cars were going, with each group given a different verb to describe the cars motion e.g. smashed, collided.
What were the findings of Loftus and Palmer’s research on the impact of leading questions on eye witness testimony?
Mean speed for verb “contacted”: 31.8 mph
Mean speed for verb “smashed”: 40.5 mph
Name the two reasons why leading questions impact eye witness testimony:
1) Response bias explanation
2) Substitution explanation
Explain the response bias explanation as a reason why leading questions impact eye witness testimony:
- Suggests that the wording of the question has no real effect on the Ps memories, but influences how they decide to answer.
- Ps who heard the verb “smashed” were encouraged to choose a higher speed estimate.
Explain the substitution explanation as a reason why leading questions impact eye witness testimony:
- Suggests the wording of a leading question actually changes the Ps memory.
- In Loftus and Palmers second experiment. Ps who heard the verb “smashed” reported seeing broken glass (there was none) than those who heard “hit”.
Name the three evaluation points for Loftus and Palmer’s research on the impact of leading questions on eye witness testimony and if they are a strength or a weakness:
1) Real-life applications = strength
2) Lacks ecological validity = limitation
3) Demand characteristics = limitation
Explain real-life applications as a strength for Loftus and Palmer’s research on the impact of leading questions on eye witness testimony:
- Important practical use in the criminal justice system
- The impact of EWT is very serious in court, so psychologists are sometimes asked to be an expert witness in court to ensure leading questions are not used.
- Shows that psychologists can help the way the legal system works, especially by protecting innocent people from faulty EWT convictions.
Explain lacks ecological validity as a limitation for Loftus and Palmer’s research on the impact of leading questions on eye witness testimony:
- In the experiment Ps watched the whole of the car accident from start to finish, which is uncommon in real-life accidents.
- Results do not reflect everyday car accidents
- Unable to conclude if Ps involved in real accidents would have a stronger emotional connection to the event and would be susceptible to the influence of leading questions
Explain demand characteristics as a limitation for Loftus and Palmer’s research on the impact of leading questions on eye witness testimony:
- The participants in the experiment may have been aware of the true aims, and realised that the purpose of the study was to conclude the vulnerability to leading questions.
- Results may have been compromised
What psychologist carried out research on the impact of post event discussion on eye witness testimony?
Gabbert
Explain the method of Gabberts research on the impact of post event discussion on eye witness testimony:
- Ps were put into pairs and each participant was made to watch a clip from the same crime but from a different POV.
- Ps discussed what they had saw before individually completing a recall test
What were the findings of Gabberts research on the impact of post event discussion on eye witness testimony?
- 71% of Ps mistakenly recalled aspects of the event that they did not see through their POV but picked up in discussion.
- Control group had a 0% rate of this occurring
- Evidence of memory conformity where witnesses go along with others to gain social approval.
Name the 3 evaluation points for Gabberts research on the impact of post event discussion on eye witness testimony and if they are a strength or limitation:
1) Population validity = strength
2) Lacks ecological validity = limitation
3) Demand characteristics = limitation
Explain lacks ecological validity as a limitation for Gabberts research on the impact of post event discussion on eye witness testimony:
- Witnesses knew that they were taking part in an experiment and were more likely to have paid close attention to the details of the video clip.
- Do not reflect everyday examples of crime where witnesses may be exposed to less information
Explain lacks demand characteristics as a limitation for Gabberts research on the impact of post event discussion on eye witness testimony:
- The participants in the experiment may have been aware of the true aims, and realised that the purpose of the study was to conclude the vulnerability to post-event discussion.
- Results may have been compromised
Explain lacks population validity as a strength for Gabberts research on the impact of post event discussion on eye witness testimony:
- Age impacts post event discussion
- Gabbert tested university students and older adults
- Can conclude that post-event discussion affects younger and older adults in a similar way.
Which psychologists produced a theory and model of impact of anxiety on eye witness testimony?
Yerkes and Dodson