The cognitive approach - Loftus and Palmer(1)

Question 1

What is the aim of Loftus and Palmer? EXPERIMENT ONE

Answer 1

To investigate how information supplied after an event influences a witness’s memory for that event
To investigate language on memory

Question 2

What do early/prior studies show?

Answer 2

That memories are not accurate record of our experience. We try and fit past events into existing representations to make memories more coherent.

Question 3

What is the IV?

Answer 3

Changing the wording of the critical question, (which verb condition the subject was tested in.)

Question 4

What was the critical question? NUMBER

Answer 4

question 4 - Others being distractor questions

Question 5

What was the Dv

Answer 5

The mean speed estimate in miles per hour per condition and this giving a quantitative measure.

Question 6

What was the sample?

Answer 6

45 students - University of Washington seattle.
AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT
5 conditions tested in with 9 people in each

Question 7

What were the 5 conditions?

Answer 7

Smashed, Collided, Bumped, Hit, Contacted.

Question 8

Analogy to remember the conditions?

Answer 8

So Could Be Holidays Couldn’t (it)

Question 9

What type of experiment was Loftus and Palmer?

Answer 9

Lab

Question 10

What were the results of the conditions?

Answer 10

SMASHED = 40.8
COLLIDED= 39.3
BUMPED = 38.1
HIT = 34.0
CONTACTED = 31.8

Question 11

what do the results show?

Answer 11

They demonstrate the phrasing of the question brought about a change in speed estimate. (The more dramatic the word the higher the speed the pps put down.)

Question 12

How many videos did the participants watch?

Answer 12

7

Question 13

What are the strengths ?

Answer 13

1. ) Based in a lab,variables controlled, cause and effect established.
2. )Quantitative data gathered - easy to analyse
3. )Use of films standardised the experiment.
4. ) PPS randomly assigned to experimental groups to reduce bias.

Question 14

What are the weaknesses?

Answer 14

1. )Isn’t a big enough sample size, represent wider population.
2. )External Validity= findings of study low in population validity.
3. )Leading questions can distort memory.
4. )Controlled conditions= low ecological validity
5. )Accidents happen spontaneously in the real world so memory would be affected compared to the video.
6. )Under stress in real life
7. )Fatigue and order effects
8. ) Response bias - forced

Question 15

What could be improved?

Answer 15

1. )Use a bigger range of words

2. ) Use a bigger sample size