EWT Key Studies Loftus And Palmer (1974) Key Study 1 Flashcards
(17 cards)
What was the aim of key study 1
To find out the impact of leading questions
Description of key study 1 AO1
There was 45 PPs
Shown 7 video clips of car accidents
After each clip a questionnaire was given
The questionnaire include one critical (leading) question
E.g ‘his fast was the car going when they (insert verb) each other ?
The Pps were split into 5 group of 9 and were given the following verbs :smashed ,collided,bumped,contacted or hit
What were the results of key study 1 (leading questions )
At smashed the mean estimate was 40.8
At collided it was 39.3
At bumped it was 38.1
At hit it was 34.0
At contacted it was 31.8
Between contacted and smashed there was a 9mph difference
What does this study show
This study shows that leading questions impact the results of the following questions that will be asked and may change how people see the interview therefore it lacks reliability
A01 key study 1
· Research into EWT by Loftus and palmer researched the impact of leading questions
· In the experiment there was 45 student pps who were shown 7 video clips of car accidents
after each clip a questionaire was given
· The questionaire included one leading question ‘How fast was the car going when they (insert verb
each other?
The pps were split into 5 groups of 9 and were given the following verb: collided, smashed, hit, contacted or bumped
The verb smashed (41.8)and contacted (30.8) had a difference of9 mph as pps estimated that When the verb smashed was used the car was travelling much faster
This shows that leading questions can change the accuracy of an ewt as leading questions look for a specific answer which
may change the way the eye witness sees the memory
What did Loftus and Palmer research in relation to EWT?
Loftus and Palmer researched the impact of leading questions on the accuracy of eye witness testimony (EWT).
How many participants were involved in Loftus and Palmer’s experiment and what were they shown?
There were 45 student participants, and they were shown 7 video clips of car accidents.
What happened after each video clip in the Loftus and Palmer experiment?
After each clip, a questionnaire was given to the participants.
What type of question was included in the questionnaire given to participants?
The questionnaire included one leading question: ‘How fast was the car going when they (insert verb) each other?’
How were the participants divided and what verbs were they given?
The 45 participants were split into 5 groups of 9, and each group was given one of the following verbs: collided, smashed, hit, contacted, or bumped.
What were the results when the verb “smashed” was used compared to “contacted”?
The average speed estimate for “smashed” was 41.8 mph, and for “contacted” it was 30.8 mph, showing a difference of 9 mph.
What does the difference in speed estimates suggest about leading questions?
It suggests that leading questions can change the accuracy of an EWT, as the verb used influences how fast participants believed the car was going.
Why do leading questions affect eyewitness memory?
Because leading questions look for a specific answer, they may change the way the eyewitness sees the memory, altering their original perception of the event.
Strength: What is a methodological strength of the study?
P: The study is controlled.
E: The video clips and length of time were the same for all participants, and the only extraneous variable was the change of verb in the leading question.
E: This shows that the procedure is replicable and can establish a cause and effect relationship, as it should produce similar results in future investigations. Therefore, the study has reliability.
Weakness: Why is the lab setting considered a limitation?
P: The study took place in a lab setting, which is not true to everyday life.
E: The video clips of the car accident were shown in a lab, not in real life, so there was a lack of emotion and trauma that would be present in real-life incidents.
E: This demonstrates that the findings can’t be generalised to real-life situations, meaning the study lacks ecological validity. In real accidents, emotional factors may significantly affect EWT accuracy.
Strength: How can the findings be applied to real life?
P: Application to everyday life.
E: Research into leading questions has been used to help improve police interview techniques and led to the development of the Cognitive Interview (CI).
E: This shows how findings from research into misleading information helped develop the CI, which includes techniques like recall from different perspectives. This increases the accuracy of EWT and demonstrates real-world application (RWA).
Weakness: What is a sample-related limitation of the study?
P: Sample bias.
E: The participants were all students, who may have different memory capabilities compared to other groups, due to frequent studying.
E: This suggests the study’s results can’t be generalised to the whole population. The sample lacked diversity, such as adults from various backgrounds, meaning it lacks representation.
