Factors affecting eyewitness testimony: Anxiety

Question 1

A01

Outline the procedure of Johnson & scotts study on how anxiety has a negative effect on recall(weapon focus)

this approach to study anxiety & EWT- look at effect of weapon which creates anxiety
this leads to focus on weapon reducing witnesses recall of event

Answer 1

Johnnon & Scott
led p to believe were taking part in lab study
p were seated in waiting room
P heard argument in next room
>In low anxiety condition-man walked through waiting room with ink pen
>high anxiety condition-p heard argument accomponied by sound of broken glass - man walked out room holding paper knife covered in blood

Question 2

A01

Outline the findings of Johnsons & Scotts study on how anxiety has a negative effect on recall

Answer 2

> P had to identify man from 50 phtos
49% identified man carrying the ink pen
33%-man holding blood covered knife
the tunnel theory -witneses narrow their attention on weapon as its source of anxiety-reducing witnesses recall of event

Question 3

A01

Outline the procedure of Yullie & Cutshalls study on anxiety has a positive effects on recall

This approach focuses-witnessing a stressful event creates anxiety -the flight or fight response is triggered increasing alertness -imporving memory of the event

Answer 3

Conducted study of real life shooting in gun shop
>shop owner shot a thief dead
>21 witnesses
>13 agreed to take part in study
>INterviews held 4-5 months after & interviews compared to original police interview
>Accuracy determined by number of details reported
>WItnesses reported their stress levels using 7 point scale

Procedure

Question 4

A01

Outline the findings of Yullie & Cutshalls study

Answer 4

Witnesses were accurate in their accounts & there were less change in amount recalled after 5 months
suggesting anxiety does not have detrimental effect on accuracy of EWT, strong emotions can improve memory encoding

Findings & Conclusion

Question 5

A03

Jacobson & Scott not tested anxiety-they were suprised not scared ( Pickel )

limiitation

Answer 5

Johnson & scott may have not tested anxiety
The reason p focused on weapon -suprised at what they saw rather than scared
Pickel et al conducted experiment using scissors,handgun,wallet or raw chiken as items in salon video
found highest levels of accuracy of EWT experienced in condition with high unusualness i.e. raw chicken
This suggests that the weapon focus effect is due to unusualness rather then anxiety -doesnt tell us anthing about effects of anxiety on EWT

Question 6

A03

Ethical issues of Johnson & scott study & yullie & cutshalls study

Unusuealness not anxiety

Answer 6

exposing p to distressing images (Johnson and Scott) -did not protect p from harm
(Yuille and Cutshall). This breaches the ethical guideline of the right of the p to be
protected from psychological harm, thus meaning that a cost-benefit analysis would be needed to compare associated ethical costs with benefits of knowledge of the effects of
anxiety on the accuracy of EWT

Question 7

A03

Explaining the contradictory findings:

Answer 7

What is the Yerkes-Dodson law?
The Yerkes-Dodson law states that performance on a task improves with increased arousal or stress up to a point, after which it starts to decline. This means that moderate levels of anxiety may actually enhance memory recall, but high levels can have a detrimental effect.