Loftus and Palmer

Question 1

What is a leading question?

Answer 1

A question that suggests what answer is desired or leads to that desired answer.

Question 2

What was the aim of experiment 1?

Answer 2

to investigate the effect of leading questions on the accuracy of witness memory of a car accident.

Question 3

what research method was used?

Answer 3

2 x lab experiments

Question 4

what experimental design was used?

Answer 4

independent measures design

Question 5

how many ps were used in experiment 1 ?

Answer 5

45 american students, split into 5 groups with 9 ps in each.

Question 6

what was the IV in exp1?

Answer 6

Verb used

Question 7

what was the DV in exp1?

Answer 7

estimate of speed

Question 8

what did ps have to do after watching the short film clip in exp 1?

Answer 8

Write a short account of what they saw then complete a questionnaire

Question 9

What was the critical question in experiment 1?

Answer 9

“About how fast were the cars going when they _____ each other?

Question 10

What 5 verbs were used?

Answer 10

smashed, hit, bumped, collided, contacted

Question 11

what was the mean estimated speed for each of the verbs? (in order)

Answer 11

smashed- 40.8mph
collided-39.3mph
bumped- 38.1mph
hit-34.0mph
contacted-31.8mph

Question 12

what do the results show?

Answer 12

They show the form of question can have a significant effect on a witness’ answer to the question. (leading questions can affect accuracy of memory)

Question 13

what 2 explanations did L&P give for this result?

Answer 13

1- response bias factors
2-memory representation is altered.

Question 14

Response-bias factors

Answer 14

the diff speed estimates occurred because the critical word influences/ biases a person’s response. (form of demand characteristic)

Question 15

Memory distortion

Answer 15

the critical word actually alters a persons memory so they actually ‘see’ the accident differently. (more of less severe)

Question 16

What did experiment 2 want to test?

Answer 16

If memory distortion causes ps to remember other details that are not true and did not happen.

Question 17

What was the aim of experiment 2?

Answer 17

to investigate if results in exp 1 were due to memory distortion. This was done by seeing whether ps who heard the words allocated w high speed estimates would be more likely to incorrectly recall seeing broken glass.

Question 18

What research method was used in exp2?

Answer 18

Lab experiments

Question 19

What experimental design was used in exp2?

Answer 19

Independent measures design.

Question 20

How many ps were used in exp2?

Answer 20

150 american students, split into 3 groups of 50.

Question 21

what was the first group asked in exp2?

Answer 21

“how fast were the cars going when they HIT each other?”

Question 22

what was the second group asked in exp2?

Answer 22

“how fast were the cars going when they SMASHED each other?”

Question 23

what was the third group in exp2?

Answer 23

a control group, they were not asked a critical question.

Question 24

what was the IV in exp2 ?

Answer 24

verb used in question

Question 25

what was the DV in exp2 ?

Answer 25

ps response to seeing broken glass or not.

Question 26

how long did the ps have before they returned and were asked if they saw broken glass?

Answer 26

one week later

Question 27

how many ps responded “yes” to seeing broken glass with the verb SMASHED?

Answer 27

16 ps

Question 28

how many responded NOT seeing broken glass with the verb SMASHED?

Answer 28

34 ps

Question 29

how many ps responded “yes” to seeing broken glass with the verb HIT?

Answer 29

7 ps

Question 30

how many did NOT recall seeing broken glass with the verb HIT?

Answer 30

43 ps

Question 31

how many ps recall seeing broken glass with control condition?

Answer 31

6

Question 32

how many do NOT recall seeing broken glass in the control condition?

Answer 32

44

Question 33

what do the results in exp2 show?

Answer 33

Ps were more likely to remember seeing broken glass if the verb was “smashed” in the critical question.

Question 34

what 2 kinds of info go into our memory of an event?

Answer 34

1- ones own perception at the time of the event. (ps watching car crashes)

2- external info supplied after the event (e.g leading questions)

overtime info from both sources is MERGDED- unable to tell from which source some specific detail is recalled- only have one memory.

Question 35

is it possible to distort someones memory of an event through leading questions?

Answer 35

Yes (info from both sources integrated so unable to tell which source some detail is recalled from- is all one memory)