memory - eyewitness testimony

Question 1

how can a reconstructive memory make us have errors when recalling information?

Answer 1

-doesn’t play back exactly what we saw->cannot be accurate

Question 2

how can our schema make us have errors when recalling information?

Answer 2

• tend just fill in gaps from our schemas about info

- recall what we would have EXPECTED from the situation as schemas are based on knowledge we have about the world.

Question 3

what are the factors affecting the accuracy of an eyewitness testimony?

Answer 3

MISSLEADING INFORMATION; leading questions and post-event discussion and ANXIETY

Question 4

what is meant by misleading information: leading questions?

Answer 4

questions in interviews are phrased in a particular way to prompt a certain response.

Question 5

what research was done into misleading information: leading questions?

Answer 5

LOFTUS AND PALMER: 45 students in 6 groups all showed video of car crash after asked “how fast were the cars travelling when they hit each other” word hit changed in each different group

Question 6

what were the findings of Loftus and Palmer’s research misleading information: leading questions?

Answer 6

when question said smashed students said 41mph

when questions said contacted students said 32mph

Question 7

what happened one week later in Loftus and Palmer’s research misleading information: leading questions??

Answer 7

asked students if they had seen glass; 32% of ‘smashed’ group said yes, 14% of ‘hit’ group said yes

Question 8

what is meant by misleading information: post-event discussion?

Answer 8

conversation between eyewitnesses or eyewitness and other person about the event

Question 9

what research has been done into misleading information: post-event discussion?

Answer 9

GABBERT ET AL: pps in pairs and watched clip of same crime. Crime was filmed from different viewpoints.

Question 10

what was the findings of Gabbert et al’s research misleading information: post-event discussion?

Answer 10

71% of pps incorrectly reported aspects of crime they had not seen but was mentioned in discussion after.

Question 11

what does Gabbert et al’s research into misleading information: post-event discussion show us?

Answer 11

eyewitnesses often go along with each other - to gain social approval which is called memory conformity.

Question 12

what is a strength about the two sets of research completed about misleading information?

Answer 12

both have cause and effect can be determined as its a lab experiment - dv ONLY caused iv to change

Question 13

what is a weakness about the two sets of research completed about misleading information?

Answer 13

both lack ecological validity (lab experiment)- not real life, lower emotions L&P not as real and didn’t try hard enough to recall info.G

Question 14

what practical applications has this research done for society?

Answer 14

professionals are much for careful in interviews with questions and are cautious about accuracy - results in fewer wrong convictions

Question 15

why is using a lab experiments also a good thing for research into misleading information?

Answer 15

ethical issues challenge field experiments - seeing fake crime may leave pps emotionally affected

Question 16

what is the first reason why anxiety has a negative effect of the accuracy on the EWT?

Answer 16

body goes into flight or fight mode - ability too recall info is reduced when in stressful situations (crime scene) because memorising is a complex task

Question 17

what is the second reason why anxiety has a negative effect of the accuracy on the EWT?

Answer 17

weapon focus- weapons causes anxiety and distracts us from everything else - cannot recall anything else

Question 18

what research has been done to investigate the idea of weapon focus?

Answer 18

2 groups of pps asked to sit in waiting, heard argument, one group saw man running with pen other say knife and blood, then asked to identify man

Question 19

what were the findings of the research done into weapon focus?

Answer 19

49% of pen man was correct

33% of knife man was correct

Question 20

how does anxiety have a positive effect on the accuracy on the EWT?

Answer 20

high anxiety leads to the production of lasting of memories

Question 21

what research has been done to investigate the positive effects of the accuracy of the EWT?

Answer 21

testimonies taken from eyewitnesses following real gun fight, interviews compared to straight away to 5 months later.

Question 22

what were the findings of the research done into the positive effects of the accuracy of the EWT?

Answer 22

those who were most accurate were reported most anxious and upset - may be because very keen to help police investigation

Question 23

what are the problems with using real life events to investigate whether anxiety can affect the accuracy of the EWT?

Answer 23

paps may have discussed event with others - so may be subject to misleading info - extraneous variable - anxiety impossible to assess

Question 24

what are the problems with using lab experiments to investigate whether anxiety can affect the accuracy of the EWT?

Answer 24

staged crime- may try and work out what they are going to be asked to recall afterwards - demands characteristics meaning findings inaccurate

Question 25

what other factors may affect how anxiety impacts the accuracy on a EWT?

Answer 25

age and personality -difficult to isolate the effects of JUST anxiety

Question 26

who developed the cognitive interview to improve the accuracy of the EWT?

Answer 26

Geiselman and Fisher

Question 27

what are the 4 stages of the cognitive interview?

Answer 27

1. recreate the context e.g. feelings, weather
2. report everything - even if it seems irrelevant
3. recall in reverse order
4. recall from a changed perspective

Question 28

what are the first 2 stages on the cognitive interview based on?

Answer 28

Tulving and his retrial cues e.g. personal and context cues may trigger other important memories

Question 29

what are the last two stages designed for?

Answer 29

increase accurate recall - reduce impact of schemas. Also reduces dishonesty as its uh harder to produce untruthful account backwards

Question 30

what is the amended version of the cognitive interview called?

Answer 30

enhanced cognitive interview

Question 31

what are 4 features of the enhanced cognitive interview?

Answer 31

1. no distractions
2. no interruptions
3. calm environment
4. open questions

Question 32

who and what research was done in to the effectiveness of the cognitive interview?

Answer 32

Geisleman et al - showed pps violent crime and interviewed later either using the standard interview or cognitive interview

Question 33

what were the findings of Geiselmans study into the effectiveness of the cognitive interview?

Answer 33

• no difference between interviews of incorrect info recalled
• standard interview produced least amount of info
• more accurate info was recalled when CI was used

Question 34

what is a strength of the cognitive interview?

Answer 34

lots of research suggesting it is effective - so increases chance of catching criminals - benefits whole of society

Question 35

what is a weakness of the cognitive interview?

Answer 35

time consuming and further training is required - likely that full versions of CI have not been used, reducing effectiveness

Question 36

what is a strength of the cognitive interview?

Answer 36

modifications can be made which makes it flexible and effect- e.g. child eyewitness less able to emphasise with others so take out perspectives stage.

Question 37

what is a weakness of the cognitive interview?

Answer 37

it increases quality but not quantity - eyewitnesses in CI still state over half inaccurate info - all police need to take caution because CI therefore does not guarantee accuracy