🟣 Memory: Factors affecting accuracy of eyewitness testimony Flashcards
What are the three two that impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
Misleading information
Anxiety
What is misleading information
Incorrect information given to eyewitnesses usually after an event
What are the main two types of misleading information
Leading questions
Post event discussion
What are leading questions
They are questions which are phrased in a way that influences witnesses testimony as it implies a certain type of answer
Describe the procedure on the research done on leading questions
They got 45 participants to watch a clip of car accidents then asked some question about it before asking the leading question
“About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other”
Participants were split into 5 groups and 4 of the groups had the verb “hit to contacted, bumped, collided and smashed
Who conducted research done on leading questions and in what year
Loftus and Palmer (1974)
What are the results of the research done on leading questions
Group with the verb contacted guessed an average speed of 31.8 mph
Group with the verb smashed guessed an average speed of 40.5mph
What are the verbs (the IV) that influenced the results of the research done on leading questions by Loftus and Palmer (1974)
Hit
Collided
Smashed
Bumped
Contacted
What did the results of the research on leading question show about leading questions as a concept
It shows that leading questions biased the eyewitnesses recall - decreasing the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
What was the leading question that was asked during the procedure of the research on leading questions
About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other
What are the two ways in which leading question can impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
Response-bias explanation
Substitution explanation
What is the response-bias explanation of leading questions
It suggests that the wording of a question has no effect on the memory - but only influences the way in which the witness decides to reply
What is the substitution explanation of leading questions
It suggests that the wording of a question alters the memory of the events that the witnesses experienced
When was Loftus and Palmers second experiment on leading question, supporting the substitution explanation
1974
Describe the results on Loftus and Palmers second experiment on leading question, supporting the substitution explanation
Participants who heard the word smashed were more likely to report seeing broken glass than those who heard the word hit
Describe the procedure on the research done on post event discussion
Gabbert et al. (2003) got participants to watch a video of the same crime in pairs - but in different POV’s
And each person in a pair saw events that the other couldn’t see
After they watched the video they were given time to discuss the event
What is post-event discussion
It is when witnesses discuss events with each other after it has occured
Who conducted research done on post-event discussion and in what year
Gabbert et al. (2003)
What are the results of the research done on post event discussion (Include the control group)
71% of participants recalled stuff of the event that they did not see themselves
In the control group 0% of other information was recalled by the other persons POV
What did the results of the research on post-event discussion show
It shows that post-event discussion could lead to memory conformity
What are the two ways in which post-event discussion can impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
Memory contamination
Memory conformity
What is memory contamination
When witnesses combine information from what they’ve heard from other witnesses and what they recall from their own memories
What is memory conformity
When witnesses go along with another witnesses POV because they think the other person is in the right - but the initial memory is unchanged
Does knowing the affect that post-event discussion change anything and how
Yes - affects that post-event discussion will decrease when participants are aware of it
What are the evaluation points of misleading information as a type of factor affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies
Real-world application of misleading information
Counterpoint of real-world application
Evidence against substitution
Evidence challenging memory conformity
What are the strengths of misleading information as a type of factor affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies
Real-world application of misleading information
What are the limitations of misleading information as a type of factor affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies
Counterpoint of real-world application
Evidence against substitution
Evidence challenging memory conformity
Describe the real-world application that strengthens misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
Psychologists can improve the way that legal systems work and can try to prevent inaccurate EWT’s by using Loftus’ (1975) beliefs on how leading questions can distort memory
Police officers are carful with their wording because of this
Explain how the real-world application validates misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
It shows it is reliable at protecting innocent people
Describe the real-world application counterpoint that limits misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
In Loftus and Palmer’s initial study (1974) participants were watching clips and not witnessing real life events
And Foster et al (1994) pointed out that real-world recalling holds consequences
Explain how the real-world application counterpoint invalidates misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
It proves that the studies done of misleading information are pointless since participants don’t face any consequences for their statements
Describe the evidence against substitution that limits misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
Sutherland and Hayne (2001) got participants to watch a clip and asked misleading questions afterwards
Participants recall for central details were more accurate than peripheral ones and shows that original memories for central details was not distorted
Explain how the evidence against substitution invalidates misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
Substitution explanation did not account for central details not facing distortion
Describe the evidence challenging memory conformity that limits misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
Skagerberg and Wright (2008) showed participants (in pairs) two versions of the same clips with slight variants and allowed the pairs to discuss what they saw afterwards
The participants did not just say what their partner saw, or only what they saw - but testified a blend of both
Explain how the evidence challenging memory conformity invalidates misleading information as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT
The blend suggests that memory is disturbed through memory contamination and not memory conformity which initial research on post-event discussion id not account for
How would anxiety have a negative effect on recall
Anxiety could create physiological arousal in the body worsening recall as it prevents us from paying attention
How would anxiety have a positive affect on recall
Anxiety could create physiological arousal in the body improving recall as it would initiate the flight or flight response which increases awareness
How can the presence of a weapon impact recall
It leads to the focus on the weapon and not any other details of the event
Who researched the negative effect that anxiety has on recall
Johnson and Scott (1976)
When did Johnson and Scott investigate the negative effect that anxiety has on recall
1976
Describe the procedure of the negative effect that anxiety has on recall (Johnson and Scott)
There were two conditions of participants which Johnson and Scott lead them to believe they were in a lab study
While seated in a waiting room participants in the low anxiety condition heard casual conversation followed by a man exiting the room with greasy hands and a pen in his hands
Whereas participants in the high anxiety condition heard a heated argument followed by a man exiting with bloody hands and a knife
Participants in both conditions were then told to pick out the man out of 50 photos
What were the two conditions of the investigation on negative effect on recall
Low anxiety condition (casual conversation followed by mean with greasy hands and a pen)
High anxiety condition (heated argument followed by a mean with bloody hands and a knife)
What are the findings on the investigation of the negative effects that anxiety has on recall
When asked to pick out the man out of 50 pictures
49% of people in the low-anx condition were able to identify the man
and
33% of people in the high-anx condition were able to identify the man
What is tunnel theory
A theory which suggests that people have enhanced memory for central events
What is an example of tunnel theory
Weapon focus
Who researched the positive effect that anxiety has on recall
Yuille and Cutshall (1986)
When did Yuille and Cutshall investigate the negative effect that anxiety has on recall
1986
Describe the procedure of the positive effect that anxiety has on recall (Yuille and Cutshall)
Yuille and Cutshall (1986) conducted a study with 13⁄21 witnesses of a shooting in a gun shop in Vancouver, Canada where a gun owner shot a thief dead.
They interviewed these witnesses 4-5 months after the incident and compared the new interview to the original police interview
and
witnesses were asked how they felt at the time of the incident on a (7 point scale) and were asked if they had any emotional problems
What are the findings on the investigation of the positive effects that anxiety has on recall
Although details such as age/height and weight estimations were less accurate
Results show that recall for those who reported higher stress levels showed 88% of accurate recall compared to 75% for those reported to be less stressed
What are the contradictory findings on the effects anxiety has on recall
The contradictory finding is that the relationship between emotional arousal and performance is like an inverted U - and that too high and too low anxiety has a negative affect on recall
Who discovered the contradictory finding on the effects anxiety has on recall
Yerkes and Dodson (1908)
What year did Yerkes and Dodson encounter the contradictory findings on the effects anxiety has on recall
1908
Describe the Labyrinth of Horror procedure
Researchers did a real word study were they offered people discounts to take part of their study in the Labyrinth of Horror at the London dungeon
At the end of the visit they self reported their anxiety levels and wore wireless heart monitors to verify the anxiety they experienced and were split into high anx and low anx category
Participants were then asked to describe a person (an actor in the labyrinth) that they encountered
Who conducted the Labyrinth of Horror procedure
Valentine and Mesout (2009)
What are the finding of the Labyrinth of Horror procedure
High anx participants recalled fewest correct details and made more mistakes
17% of high anx participants correctly identified the actor compared to 75% correct by those in the low anx group
What are the evaluation points of anxiety as a factor affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
Unusualness has a negative effect on anxiety and not anxiety
Research supporting the positive effect anxiety has on recall
Research supporting the negative effect anxiety has on recall
Research supporting the positive effect anxiety has on recall counterpoint
What are the limitations of anxiety as a factor affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony (Eval points)
Unusualness has a negative effect on anxiety and not anxiety
Research supporting the positive effect anxiety has on recall counterpoint
What are the strengths of anxiety as a factor affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony (Eval points)
Research supporting the positive effect anxiety has on recall
Research supporting the negative effect anxiety has on recall
Explain how unusualness impacting recall limits anxiety as a factor that affects the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
Johnson and Scott’s study may have tested unusualness and not anxiety
It shows that research that shows the affect that anxiety has on recall is not accurate
What study showed that unusualness is a factor that affects recall and not anxiety
Describe study showed that unusualness is a factor that affects recall and not anxiety
