Studies: Forensic Psych

Question 1

Aim of Rosenthal and Jacobson

Answer 1

To investigate if teacher expectations could influence children’s intellectual ability

Question 2

Procedure of Rosenthal and Jacobson

Answer 2

Procedure -

gave elementary students an IQ test
the informed their teachers which children were going to be ‘average’ and which were going to be ‘bloomers’
then came back and conducted another IQ test on the children

Question 3

Results of Rosenthal and Jacobson

Answer 3

Results -

teachers treated the two groups differently
gave ‘bloomers’ more attention and detailed feed back
children labeled as ‘bloomers’ showed an increase in IQ score that was significantly greater than the ‘average’ group

Question 4

Conclusion of Rosenthal and Jacobson

Answer 4

Conclusion -

the teachers expectations worked as a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’
the expectations altered the way the children were treated and thus their academic/intellectual ability
expectations were internalised and become a part of their self-concept and beliefs about themselves

Question 5

Aim of Loftus and Palmer (study 1)

Answer 5

To show that leading questions distort eyewitness testimonies

Question 6

Participants of Loftus and Palmer (study 1)

Answer 6

45 American students
opportunity sample
independent groups design

Question 7

Procedure of Loftus and Palmer

Answer 7

Procedure -

all shown video recording of a car accident
Split into 5 groups
Given a questionnaire about accident
critical question —
‘how fast was the cars going when they ______?’
hit
smashed
collided
contacted
bumped

Question 8

Results of Loftus and Palmer

Answer 8

Results -
smashed mean estimate score = 40.5 mph
contacted mean estimate score = 32mph

Question 9

Evaluation of Loftus and Palmer (study 1)

Answer 9

Response bias —
participants may only be responding to the Q’s demands rather than having their memories changed

Question 10

Participants of Loftus and Palmer (study 2)

Answer 10

-150 American students

Question 11

Procedure of Loftus and Palmer (study 2)

Answer 11

Procedure -

all shown video of car accident
split into 3 groups
Given a questionnaire about accident
critical question —
‘how fast was the cars going when they ______?’
hit
smashed
no verb
then, came back 2 weeks later
given another questionnaire
critical question:
‘did you see any broken glass?’
(there was no broken glass)

Question 12

Results of Loftus and Palmer Study 2

Answer 12

Results -

smashed = 32% said yes
hit = 14% said yes

Question 13

Conclusion of Loftus and Palmer Study 2

Answer 13

leading questions and post event information can influence EWT by forcing the witness to accommodate their schema of the event
responses not due to response bias alone

Question 14

Evaluation of Loftus and Palmer (Study 2)

Answer 14

Evaluation -

V - high due it being a lab experiment (high control over EVs)
low ecological validity as a video recording of a accident was used rather than a real crime (reduced stress & trauma)

A - high as it highlights the issues with eyewitness testimonies and how leading Qs should be avoided when interviewing witnesses
use cognitive interviews rather than police interviews

Question 15

Aim of Yuille & Cutshal Study

Answer 15

To examine the effect of leading questions of eye witness accounts of a real event
(as opposed to the numerous lab studies of videoed/ staged events)

Question 16

Paricipants of Yuile & Cutshal

Answer 16

21 witnesses of a gun-shooting incidence
13/21 agreed to be interviews
10 m, 3 f
ages - 15 - 32

Question 17

Procedure of Yuile & Cutshal

Answer 17

-21 witnesses interviewed by police immediately after the event.
-13 of those agreed to take part in a research interview 4-5 months later
- In both sets of interviews, the eye witnesses were asked to give their account and then follow up questions were asked.
- The researchers asked 2 misleading questions
- Half the group were asked if they saw A broken headlight and the other half were asked if they saw THE broken headlight. There was no broken headlight.
- Half of the group were asked if they saw A yellow panel on the car and the other half were asked if they saw THE yellow panel. The panel was in fact blue.
- The witnesses were then asked to rate their degree of stress of a scale of 1-7. They were also asked if they had any emotional problems since the event.
reports of other professionals attending the scene
each detail was awarded 1 point

Question 18

Results of Yuile and Cutshal Study

Answer 18

Results -

number of details recalled
police interview = 649.5
research interview = 1056.5

Question 19

Conclusion of Yuile & Cutshal Study

Answer 19

misleading Qs had no effect
amount of incorrect info recalled was considerably lower than lab research reported

Question 20

Aim of Valentine T & Mesout J

Answer 20

To investigate if high stress can decrease a witnesses ability to identify a perpetrator
and recall information about the event

Question 21

Participants of Valentine T & Mesout J

Answer 21

56 participants
27 m, 29 f
opportunity sample

Question 22

Procedure of Valentine T & Mesout J

Answer 22

base heart rate was measured before and during tour
participants given tour around London Dungeon
at one point a man in a scary mask and costume jumped out
after tour
given questionnaire — measure state anxiety
given 20 likert scale — measure trait anxiety
reported on the facial features/ gave description of perpetrator
asked to identify perpetrator from a 9 person line up
(all had similar feature, makeup and dress)
asked to rate the confidence of their identification

Question 23

Results of Valentine T & Mesout J

Answer 23

-strong - correlation between state correlation between state anxiety and accuracy of description
-only 17% of those above the mean state anxiety score correctly identified the perpetrator
-75% of those below the mean state anxiety score correctly identified the perpetrator

Question 24

Conclusion of Valentine T & Mesout J

Answer 24

higher levels of anxiety impair eyewitness memory and ability to correctly identify a perpetrator

Question 25

Evaluation of Valentine T & Mesout J

Answer 25

G - low as an opportunity sample was used
so participants are more likely to be those that deal with stress better (willing but themselves in this stressful situation)
high as there was a large sample size and an equal m and f split

R - high as study is easily repeatable due to standardised questionnaire and 20 likert scale

A - high as it can be used to inform the reliability of EWT due to stress and how they can be highly unreliable

V - high ecological validity as it was a field study not a lab study
low ecological validity as it was in london dungeon rather than witnessing a real crime + participants aware they’re not in an actually dangerous situation
high as questionnaire was first validated by being tested on office workers

E - high as they gained informed consent before study and participants could withdraw

Question 26

Aim of Loftus & Messo

Answer 26

To provide support for ‘weapon focus’ effect when witnessing a crime
To investigate if ‘weapon focus’ effect influences ability to correctly identify a perpetrator

Question 27

Participants of Loftus & Messo

Answer 27

-36 University students
-age 18-31
-volunteer sample
-psych and non-psych students

Question 28

Procedure of Loftus & Messo

Answer 28

Procedure -

split into 2 groups
all shown 18 slides of a series of events in a taco restaurant
same for each group apart from one slide (IV)
control group — slides shows person handing the cashier a cheque
experimental group — slide shows person pulling a gun on the cashier
each slide shown for 1.5s
DV - recognition of this person in later questioning
shown a line up of 12 h&s shots
asked how confident they were in m,asking correct identification
eye fixation time on cheque/gun also measured
given questionnaire on events

Question 29

Results of Loftus & Messo

Answer 29

-higher % of correct identifications for control condition than for experimental condition
-no dif in confidence level
-significant dif in eye fixation time
-no dif in recall of other aspects of the events

Question 30

Conclusion of Loftus & Messo

Answer 30

weapon focus does occur and the presence of a weapon does affect ability to recognise and identify a perpetrator
may not affect knowledge of other aspects of the crime

Question 31

Aim of Pickel

Answer 31

To test whether unusualness is the key variable in the weapon focus effect rather than degree of danger

Question 32

Participants of Pickel

Answer 32

230 undergraduate psychology student

Question 33

Procedure of Pickel

Answer 33

split into 5 groups
-all watched a 2min video of a scene from a hair salon
-a man walks to the receptionist and she hands –him money
-the man holds something dif in each video
nothing (control)
-scissors (high threat, low unusualness)
-handgun (high threat, high unusualness)
-wallet (low threat, low unusualness)
-raw chicken (low threat, high unusualnes –asked to fill out a questionnaire, asked about:
-receptionist (control)
- the man
-description of him
-what he was doing
identify him from a line up

Question 34

Results of Pickel

Answer 34

no dif in accuracy of descriptions of man in low threat conditions to high threat conditions
EW accuracy was significantly worse for high unusualness conditions

Question 35

Conclusions of Pickel

Answer 35

-the unusualness of a weapon in certain conditions is what affects recall in the ‘weapon focus’ effect NOT the threat/danger of a weapon

Question 36

Aim of Bradbury & Williams

Answer 36

To investigate if the racial makeup of a jury affects its decision making

Question 37

Procedure of Bradbury & Williams

Answer 37

-collected data from trials held in 2000 and 2004
-data included
-type of charge
-jury decision
-demographic characteristics of defendant and victim
-jury selection
-trial evidence
-jury deliberations
-selected trials with only black defendants
-IV: conviction or no conviction
-DV: racial makeup of jury
% white, black or hispanic
Strength of prosecutors case was measure by:
-quality of evidence
-witness presented
case type considered:
violent, petty or drug crime

Question 38

Results of Bradbury & Williams

Answer 38

Results -

-higher the % of white jurors, the higher the likelihood of conviction of black defendants
-higher the % hispanic jurors, the higher the likelihood of conviction of black defendants
jurors less likely to convict black jurors of violent crime compared to drug crimes

Question 39

Conclusion of Bradbury & Williams

Answer 39

-racial makeup of jury compared to race of defendant does impact jury decision making

Question 40

Evaluation of Bradbury & Williams

Answer 40

G — low as only cases with black defendants were used and data was on,y from 4 US states in 2000 and 2004

A — high for Jury selection process and devising ways to make it fairer for all

V — high due to many control variables to ensure only racial makeup of jury was being investigated
content analysis so quantitative data was used (high objectivity)

E — high as it was just a review of cases so no direct involvement

Question 41

Aim of Penrod & Cutler

Answer 41

To investigate whether the presence of an expert witness would affect the juror’s decision-making ability

Question 42

Procedure of Penrod & Cutler

Answer 42

-used videotaped mock trial of a robbery
-4 IVs
-witness identifying conditions (good/poor)
-witness confidence (good/poor)
-expert opinions expressed (high/low)
-for of expert testimony (descriptive/statistical)
-then given questionnaire
-guilty or not guilty
-confidence in verdict
-memory of trial and expert psychologist testimony

Question 43

Results of Penrod & Cutler

Answer 43

Results -

-juror gave more guilty verdicts when witness identification conditions were good
increased if psychologist used simply descriptive language
juror confidence was higher in good witness identification conditions and high witness confidence

Question 44

Conclusion of Penrod & Cutler

Answer 44

Conclusion

-expert testimony improved jurors knowledge of factors that may affect accuracy of EWT and made them pay more attention to witness identification conditions