Factors affecting the accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony - Misleading Info

Question 1

What are the factors affecting accuracy of EWT divided into?

Answer 1

• misleading info
• anxiety

Question 2

What is misleading info divided into?

Answer 2

• leading questions
• post event discussion

Question 3

What is a leading question and how does this affect EWT? (Intro)

Answer 3

• a question that wrongly implies something about a an event or crime
• e.g. what colour was the boys jacket, implies indv was a male
• this affects EWT as the info implied in the q contaminates the witness memory, therefore witnesses recall inaccurate info

Question 4

Who did research into misleading questions as a factor affecting EWT and what was their aim, method and sample?

Answer 4

Loftus and Palmer investigated whether the phrasing of a q can affect ppts memory of an event using a controlled lab exp on 45 american students split into groups

Question 5

What was Loftus and Palmers procedure into investigating the factor misleading questions affecting the accuracy of EWT?

Answer 5

• all ppts were shown a vid of a car crash and each group was asked a leading q with a diff verb
• smashed, hit, collided, bumped or contacted
• “how fast were the cars travelling when they ***** eachother?”
• ppts speed estimates in MPH were measured

Question 6

What was Loftus and Palmers findings and conclusions into investigating the factor misleading questions affecting the accuracy of EWT?

Answer 6

• they found ppts estimated a higher speed of 40 mph when they heard smashed compared to contacted of 30 mph
• they concluded the phrasing of a q can influence a ppts memory of an event

Question 7

What are the two AO3 PEELS to evaluate misleading info / leading questions as a factor affecting the accuracy of EWT?

Answer 7

Strength - prac apps
Weakness - lacks mundane realism

Question 8

What is meant by post event discussion?

Answer 8

witnesses of an event discuss an event they saw with eachother

Question 9

How does post event discussion affect EWT?

Answer 9

• affects EWT in two ways; memory contamination and memory conformity

Question 10

What is meant by memory contamination?

Answer 10

• when co - witnesses of a crime discuss it w eachother and their EWT becomes altered as they combine misinformation from other witnesses with their own memory
• therefore post event discussion changes memory of event

Question 11

What is meant by memory conformity?

Answer 11

• witnesses go along w eachother due to NSI to win social approval or bc they believe other witness is right and they are wrong, ISI
• however, unlike w memory contamination, memory remains unchanged but the acc of recall has been affected

Question 12

What are the two AO3 PEELS to evaluate post event discussion / misleading q as a factor affecting accuracy of EWT?

Answer 12

RTS - Skagerberg and Wright - film clip of mugging
Discussion - demand characteristics