Loftus et al - Weapon Focus Effect Flashcards
What was the aim of the study by Loftus et al?
To provide support for the ‘weapon focus’ effect when witnessing a crime
What is the weapon focus effect?
Where witnesses focus on weapons at the expense of other aspects of the situation
What was the method?
A laboratory experiment
Describe the sample of the Loftus et al study
36 students from the University of Washington aged 18-31, half were recruited via advertisements and were paid $3.50 while the others were participating for extra credits
What were all participants shown?
18 slides of a series of events in a Taco restaurant
What was the independent variable?
The slide which showed the second person handing the cashier a cheque or pulling out a gun
In what group does the second person pull a gun on the cashier?
The experimental group
How long was each slide shown for?
1.5 seconds
What was the dependent variable and how was it operationalised?
Recognition of the person in later questioning, measured by a 20 item multiple choice questionnaire
In addition to the multiple choice questionnaire, what else were participants shown in a random sequence from which eye fixations were timed?
12 head and shoulder photographs which acted as a line-up
What were participants asked to do after viewing the line-up?
They were asked to rate how confident they were of making a correct identification on a scale of 1-6
In the control condition, how many people made a correct identification of the person from the photos?
38.9% (7 people)
In the experimental condition, how many participants made a correct identification of the person in the photos?
11.1% (2 people)
How did eye fixation differ between the 2 groups?
There was an average of 3.72 seconds fixation on the gun compared to 2.44 seconds on the cheque
What was concluded from Loftus et al’s study on weapon focus?
That information gained from eye witnesses can be unreliable because crimes involving a weapon would affect the ability of a witness to recognise or reconstruct a suspects face
