Memory Questions

Question 1

Outline how one research study gas investigated the effects of anxiety on the accuracy of EWT (4 marks)

Answer 1

• Johnson and Scott conducted a lab experiment with a independent groups design
• Participants waited in a reception area and were exposed to one of 2 conditions: 1) high anxiety (man runs with a knife), 2) low anxiety (man walks past with a pen)
• Participants had to identify the man from 50 photos

Question 2

Outline what researchers have found in relation to the effects of anxiety on the accuracy of EWT (4 marks)

Answer 2

• Johnson and Scott found that in the high anxiety condition (knife condition) participant correctly identified the man 33% of the time, compared to 49% in the low anxiety (pen condition)
• Loftus suggested that the results were due to the weapon focus effect, whereby the high anxiety causes participants to focus on the weapon and not the person, causing a lower identification

Question 3

Identify three factors affecting the accuracy of EWT

Answer 3

• Misleading information
• Leading questions and post event discussion
• Anxiety

Question 4

Discuss two explanations for forgetting

Answer 4

• Interference= proactive (past learning interfering with new learning) + retroactive (recent learning interfering with old learning)
• Retrieval

Question 5

Evidence to support the idea of interference

Answer 5

Baddeley & Hitch- found that players who had played the most games in the season, forgot more games than those who had played fewer games due to injury

This supports the idea of interference (Retroactive) as the new information interfered with the players ability to recall old team names