memory - eyewitness testimony Flashcards
how can a reconstructive memory make us have errors when recalling information?
-doesn’t play back exactly what we saw->cannot be accurate
how can our schema make us have errors when recalling information?
- 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.
what are the factors affecting the accuracy of an eyewitness testimony?
MISSLEADING INFORMATION; leading questions and post-event discussion and ANXIETY
what is meant by misleading information: leading questions?
questions in interviews are phrased in a particular way to prompt a certain response.
what research was done into misleading information: leading questions?
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
what were the findings of Loftus and Palmer’s research misleading information: leading questions?
when question said smashed students said 41mph
when questions said contacted students said 32mph
what happened one week later in Loftus and Palmer’s research misleading information: leading questions??
asked students if they had seen glass; 32% of ‘smashed’ group said yes, 14% of ‘hit’ group said yes
what is meant by misleading information: post-event discussion?
conversation between eyewitnesses or eyewitness and other person about the event
what research has been done into misleading information: post-event discussion?
GABBERT ET AL: pps in pairs and watched clip of same crime. Crime was filmed from different viewpoints.
what was the findings of Gabbert et al’s research misleading information: post-event discussion?
71% of pps incorrectly reported aspects of crime they had not seen but was mentioned in discussion after.
what does Gabbert et al’s research into misleading information: post-event discussion show us?
eyewitnesses often go along with each other - to gain social approval which is called memory conformity.
what is a strength about the two sets of research completed about misleading information?
both have cause and effect can be determined as its a lab experiment - dv ONLY caused iv to change
what is a weakness about the two sets of research completed about misleading information?
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
what practical applications has this research done for society?
professionals are much for careful in interviews with questions and are cautious about accuracy - results in fewer wrong convictions
why is using a lab experiments also a good thing for research into misleading information?
ethical issues challenge field experiments - seeing fake crime may leave pps emotionally affected
what is the first reason why anxiety has a negative effect of the accuracy on the EWT?
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
what is the second reason why anxiety has a negative effect of the accuracy on the EWT?
weapon focus- weapons causes anxiety and distracts us from everything else - cannot recall anything else
what research has been done to investigate the idea of weapon focus?
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
what were the findings of the research done into weapon focus?
49% of pen man was correct
33% of knife man was correct
how does anxiety have a positive effect on the accuracy on the EWT?
high anxiety leads to the production of lasting of memories
what research has been done to investigate the positive effects of the accuracy of the EWT?
testimonies taken from eyewitnesses following real gun fight, interviews compared to straight away to 5 months later.
what were the findings of the research done into the positive effects of the accuracy of the EWT?
those who were most accurate were reported most anxious and upset - may be because very keen to help police investigation
what are the problems with using real life events to investigate whether anxiety can affect the accuracy of the EWT?
paps may have discussed event with others - so may be subject to misleading info - extraneous variable - anxiety impossible to assess
what are the problems with using lab experiments to investigate whether anxiety can affect the accuracy of the EWT?
staged crime- may try and work out what they are going to be asked to recall afterwards - demands characteristics meaning findings inaccurate
what other factors may affect how anxiety impacts the accuracy on a EWT?
age and personality -difficult to isolate the effects of JUST anxiety
who developed the cognitive interview to improve the accuracy of the EWT?
Geiselman and Fisher
what are the 4 stages of the cognitive interview?
- recreate the context e.g. feelings, weather
- report everything - even if it seems irrelevant
- recall in reverse order
- recall from a changed perspective
what are the first 2 stages on the cognitive interview based on?
Tulving and his retrial cues e.g. personal and context cues may trigger other important memories
what are the last two stages designed for?
increase accurate recall - reduce impact of schemas. Also reduces dishonesty as its uh harder to produce untruthful account backwards
what is the amended version of the cognitive interview called?
enhanced cognitive interview
what are 4 features of the enhanced cognitive interview?
- no distractions
- no interruptions
- calm environment
- open questions
who and what research was done in to the effectiveness of the cognitive interview?
Geisleman et al - showed pps violent crime and interviewed later either using the standard interview or cognitive interview
what were the findings of Geiselmans study into the effectiveness of the cognitive interview?
- no difference between interviews of incorrect info recalled
- standard interview produced least amount of info
- more accurate info was recalled when CI was used
what is a strength of the cognitive interview?
lots of research suggesting it is effective - so increases chance of catching criminals - benefits whole of society
what is a weakness of the cognitive interview?
time consuming and further training is required - likely that full versions of CI have not been used, reducing effectiveness
what is a strength of the cognitive interview?
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.
what is a weakness of the cognitive interview?
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
