Misleading Information and Eye Witness Testimony

Question 1

What is eyewitness testimony?

Answer 1

Eyewitness testimony is a legal term that refers to an account given by people of an event they have witnessed.

Question 2

What are the AO1s and AO3s in order?

Answer 2

AO1: Loftus and Palmer 1974
AO3: Internal validity (+)
AO3: External validity (-)

AO1: Gabbert et al. 2003
AO3: Statistical power (+)
AO3: Explanatory power (-)

Question 3

AO1: Loftus and Palmer 1974
Aim
Procedure
Findings
Conclusion

Answer 3

Aim: to test their hypothesis that the language used in eyewitness testimony can alter memory

Procedure: asked people to estimate the speed of motor vehicles using different forms of questions as a lab experiment

7 films of traffic accidents, 5 to 30 secs

“About how fast were the cars going when they (smashed/collided/bumped / hit / contacted) each other?”

Findings: Smashed was 40.8mph, contacted was 31.8mph

Conclusion: verb conveyed an impression of the speed the car was traveling and this altered the participants’ perceptions.

Question 4

AO3: Internal Validity (+)

Answer 4

E.g. laboratory experiment with five conditions using an independent measures design

control -> ext -> c+f -> firm -> IV

Question 5

AO3 – External validity (-)

Answer 5

7 films showing traffic incidents

emotion -> reflective every day -> ev -> less representative

Question 6

AO1 – Gabbert et al. 2003
Aim
Procedure
Findings
Conclusion

Answer 6

Aim: investigated memory conformity effects between individuals who witness and then discuss a criminal event

Procedure: 60 students from the University of Aberdeen and 60 older adults recruited from a local community.

• Watched a video of a girl stealing money from a wallet. The participants were either tested individually (control group) or in pairs (co-witness group).
• Discuss the videos

Findings: 71% of the witnesses in the co-witness group recalled information they had not actually seen and 60% said that the girl was guilty, despite the fact they had not seen her commit a crime

Conclusion: Highlight the powerful effect that post-even discussion can have on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.

Question 7

AO3- Statistical power (+)

Answer 7

E: 60 and 60

large sample -> marginal error -> presicion -> accuracy -> representative

Question 8

AO3 – Explanatory power (-)

Answer 8

E: 71% of the witnesses in the co-witness group recalled information they had not actually seen

unclear -> distort or conformity? -> further research, explanatory -> deeper understanding -> utility reduced oh no

Question 9

What 2 studies were used?

Answer 9

Loftus and Palmer 1974
Gabbert et al. 2003

Question 10

What verbs were used in Loftus and Palmer’s study : “About how fast were the cars going when they ____,____,_____,____,____, each other?”

Answer 10

smashed/collided/bumped / hit / contacted