EWT- misleading information Flashcards
(9 cards)
What was the aim of the Loftus & Palmer (1974) study?
To investigate how the wording of a question affects eyewitness memory.
What did Loftus & Palmer (1974) find about leading questions?
The verb used (e.g., ‘smashed’ vs. ‘contacted’) affected speed estimates, and participants exposed to ‘smashed’ were more likely to falsely recall seeing broken glass.
What does Loftus & Palmer’s study suggest about memory?
Leading questions can alter memory, supporting the substitution explanation (misleading info changes memory).
What did Gabbert et al. (2003) find about post-event discussion?
71% of participants recalled events they hadn’t seen themselves but had picked up through discussion, showing memory conformity.
What conclusion did Gabbert et al. draw?
Memory is contaminated by others’ accounts, leading to inaccurate eyewitness testimony.
How does research into misleading information help in real life?
It improves legal procedures, e.g., police interviews, by reducing wrongful convictions due to leading questions.
Why is supporting evidence from lab studies (e.g., Loftus & Palmer) important?
It strengthens internal validity, showing clear cause-and-effect between question wording and memory distortion.
What is a limitation of lab studies on misleading information?
They lack ecological validity because watching a video isn’t as emotionally intense as a real-life event.
How do individual differences affect eyewitness memory?
Older adults tend to be less accurate, suggesting that the effect of misleading information varies with age and is not universal.
