memory - factors affecting EWT Flashcards
factors affecting EWT
- misleading information
- anxiety
2 components of misleading information
- leading questions
- post-event discussion
leading questions - AO1
intro
what is leading question?
- question that wrongly implies something about event/incident
- e.g. what colour was youths jacket
- implies perpetrator = youth
how does it affect EWT accuracy?
- info implied in question contaminates memory of witness
- causing them to recall inaccurate info
Loftus and palmer - AO1
aim
to investigate whether phrasing of a question affects ppts memory of an event
Loftus and palmer - AO1
method
lab experiment
Loftus and Palmer - AO1
sample
45 American students
split into 5 groups of 9
Loftus and palmer - AO1
procedure
- all ppts shown video of car crash
- each group asked question with different verb (IV)
- smashed/hit/collided/bumped/contacted
- “how fast were cars travelling when they ………. each other?”
- measured ppts estimates in MPH (DV)
Loftus and palmer - AO1
findings
- higher mean speed estimate when using verb ‘smashed’ (40.5 mph)
- compared to ‘contacted’ (31.8 mph)
Loftus and palmer - AO1
conclusion
phrasing of a question affects memory of event
leading questions - AO3
practical applications
THINK FURTHER
P - practical applications
E - principle of theory
- leading questions = inaccurate info
- development of CI
- improvements in criminal justice system
E - e.g. CI avoids use of leading questions
- uses open ended questions
- “recall everything about event”
- triggers detailed info
- improves EWT accuracy
E - important part of applied psych
- testimonies = accurate
- improves lives with ppl associated with crime
THINK FURTHER
- accurate testimonies = quicker convictions
- less taxpayers money spent on police interviews/re-trials
- positive impact on enconomy
- money can be used elsewhere to benefit society
leading questions - AO3
lacks mundane realism
P - weakness
- lacks mundane realism
E - artificial task
- watching video of car crash
E - difficult to generalise leading questions as factor affecting EWT
- foster et al found more accurate testimonies given in real life
- people understand consequences of giving inaccurate information
- ppts have less motivation to give accurate info
L - lowers external validity of leading questions research by Loftus and palmer
post-event discussion - AO1
what is post-event discussion?
when witnesses to a crime discuss their account with each other
post-event discussion - AO1
how does this affect EWT accuracy?
- affects it in 2 ways
1. memory contamination - co-witnesses discuss account with each other
- memories become altered/distorted
- combine information from other witnesses with their own memory
- causing memories to change due to post-event discussion
- memory conformity
- co-witnesses go along with each other
- in order to win social approval (NSI) OR they believe other witness is right and they are wrong (ISI)
- memory remains unchanged unlike memory contamination
- accuracy of recall affected
post-event discussion - AO3
research to support skagerberg and wright
P - RTS
- skagerberg and wright
E - showed ppts 2 clips of mugging
1. mugger = dark brown hair
2. mugger = light brown hair
E - often did not report what other witness said
- instead blend of 2 e.g. medium brown hair
L - suggests memory contamination occured during post-event discussion
- distorting memories
- instead of just conforming
post-event discussion - AO3
demand characteristics
P - weakness
- demand characteristics
E - unrealistic task e.g, video clip of crimes
- controlled lab environment
E - ppts may change answer to be in line with co-witness
- fits aims of research
- helps researcher
L - lowers internal validity
- of post-event discussion effect on accuracy of EWT
