Valentine & Mesout (2009) Flashcards
Aims
to test the prediction derived from the catastrophe model that in a situation that induces cognitive anxiety, high physiological can cause a marked impairment in eyewitness recall and identification
to test eyewitness memory in a situation that posed some personal threat, but occurs during the normal course of everyday life, without participants being aware that eyewitness memory would subsequently be tested
Sample
56 volunteers (29 female, 17 male)
mean age 31
Where was the study based? Give details.
London Dungeon
mirrored walls, dark, crowded
actor - dressed up, face painted, wearing dark clothes
What was measured?
heart rate (using a Polax Accurex Plus wireless heart rate monitor)
What is TAI and SAI?
Trait Anxiety Score (Form Y)
State Anxiety score
Questionnaire
designed to test SAI and TAI
free recall & cued recall
Ps asked to identify ‘scary person’ from lineup
IVs
sex, state anxiety score, trait anxiety score
DVs
number of correct/incorrect reported descriptors (of the actor) & outcome of the photo identification procedure
Procedure
- Ps agreed to complete questionnaires (no informed consent)
- Ps were pointed out to the actor to ensure they encountered him during the 7 minutes
- each P walked around in the same order
once completed tour of labyrinth:
- revealed purpose of exp., gained informed consent & given RtoW
- completed SAI questionnaire
45 mins later
- completed TAI questionnaire
- completed questionnaire on the ‘scary person’: height, age, sex, hair colour, clothing
- a photo lineup - they were told he may or may not appear in it
Results
mean state anxiety score=49
(females=52.8, males=45.3)
mean trait anxiety score=36.8
(no gender difference)
Ps with lower SA score recalled more correct descriptors of actor’s appearance
