Misleading Information + Eyewitness Testimony

Question 1

What are misleading questions?

Answer 1

When the wording of the question leads (or misleads) the witness to give a certain answer.

Question 2

What was Loftus and Palmer’s experiment into misleading questions?

Answer 2

45 students watch film clips of accidents and receive questionnaire with critical question (leading) - how fast were the cars going when they hit/contacted/bumped/collided/smashed into each other?

Question 3

What were the findings of Loftus and Palmer’s experiment?

Answer 3

Mean speed estimate: smashed - 40.5mph. contacted - 31.8mph.

Question 4

What was Loftus and Palmer’s follow up experiment?

Answer 4

Participants shown smashed more likely to report seeing broken glass one week later than those shown hit.

Question 5

What were the findings of Loftus and Palmer’s follow up experiment?

Answer 5

It suggests that’s the substitution explanation could be more likely than simply response bias.

Question 6

What is post event discussion?

Answer 6

Eyewitnesses may discuss and share memories of the event.

Question 7

What was Gibbert et Al’s experiment into post event discussion?

Answer 7

Participants in pairs, each watching a clip of a crime from a different angle. Participants discuss the events.

Question 8

What were the results of Gibbert et Al’s experiment?

Answer 8

71% mistakenly recalled aspects they did not see but were in the discussion vs control group with no discussion (0%).

Question 9

What are the possible explanations of the results of Gibbert’s experiment?

Answer 9

• memory contamination (alteration or distortion).
• memory conformity (NSI/ISI).

Question 10

What practical application can research into misleading information generate?

Answer 10

• Loftus and Palmer - police are trained not to use leading questions.
• Gibbert - witnesses now separated.

Question 11

What are two strengths of research into misleading information?

Answer 11

• highly controlled which allows clear cause and effect to be established.
• Loftus exp.2 shows us why, not just what (substitution explanation).

Question 12

What are three weaknesses of research into misleading information?

Answer 12

• lacks ecological validity eg real eyewitnesses affected by stress and trauma.
• research participants less motivated to be accurate (Foster et al 1994).
• substitution explanation doesn’t explain why central details often not substituted but peripheral ones are (Sutherland and Hayne 2001).