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
anxiety - AO1
what is anxiety?
strong physical/emotional state that affects EWT
anxiety - AO1
how does anxiety affect EWT accuracy?
- negatively affects EWT
- causes witnesses to focus on certain aspects
- so recall is limited
Johnson and Scott - AO1
aim
to investigate effects of anxiety on EWT accuracy
Johnson and Scott - AO1
method
lab experiment
Johnson and Scott - AO1
procedure
- ppts placed in one of 2 conditions: high anxiety ‘weapon focus’ OR low anxiety condition (IV)
- told to wait outside room before experiment began
- condition 1: heard an argument and sound of breaking glass
- man walked out with KNIFE WITH BLOOD
- condition 2: heard argument and man walked out with GREASY PEN
- had to identify correct man from 50 photographs (DV)
Johnson and Scott - AO1
findings
- high anxiety condition = 33% accurate recall
- low anxiety condition = 49% accurate recall
Johnson and Scott - AO1
conclusion
- high anxiety = weapon focus
- ppts focused on weapon instead of person
- due to fear
- reducing recall
anxiety - AO3
valentine and mesout
P - RTS
- valentine and mesout
E - divided ppts using objective measure (heart rate)
- 2 groups - high and low anxiety condition
E - took part in London dungeon labyrinth (high anxiety)
- asked to recall physical details of actor immediately after
- found that high anxiety = lowered accuracy of EWT
L - high anxiety negatively affects EWT
anxiety - AO3
Christianson and hubinette
P - research to contradict
- Christianson and hubinette
E - interviewed 58 real life witnesses of bank robbery
- high anxiety (directly threatened) = bank tellers
- low anxiety (bystanders) = customers
E - found 75% accurate recall amongst all witnesses
- more accurate = bank tellers
L - contradicts that anxiety reduces EWT accuracy
- high anxiety = focused on key aspects
- identified correct perpetrator
anxiety - AO3
Christianson and hubinette
DISCUSSION
- however, Christiansen and hubinette interviewed ppts several months after event
- no control what happened in intervening time
- e.g. if ppts discussed event with each other
- other factors may have overwhelmed affect of anxiety e.g. post-event discussion
- impossible to conclude affects of anxiety
- limits extent C/H can be used to criticise anxiety as factor affecting EWT
anxiety - AO3
yerkes-dodson law
P - to evaluate anxiety as factor affecting EWT
- yerkes-dodson law can be used
E - suggests too much/too little anxiety = poor EWT accurate recall
- optimum level of anxiety = in between these two points
- optimum level = good EWT recall
E - explains differences in C/H findings
- C/H = optimum level of anxiety
- Johnson and Scott = low anxiety due to it being an experiment
- resulting in less accurate EWT
L - resolves contradiction
- validates that anxiety is a factor that does affect EWT
