Loftus (1979) Weapon Focus in EWT

Question 1

Method

Answer 1

• Study with an independent groups design, participants heard a discussion in a nearby room,
• In one condition, a man came out of the room with a pen and grease on his hands,
• In the second condition, the man came out carrying a knife covered in blood,
• Participants were asked to identify the man from 50 photographs.

Question 2

Results

Answer 2

• Participants in condition 1 were 49% accurate,
• Only 33% of participants in condition 2 were correct.

Question 3

Conclusion

Answer 3

• When anxious and aroused, witnesses focus on a weapon at the expense of other details.

Question 4

Evaluations

Answer 4

• High ecological validity; participants weren’t aware that the study was staged,
• Ethical considerations; participants could have been distressed at the sight of the man with the knife,
• Field study by Yuille and Cutshall (1986) showed that witnesses of a real incident (a shooting) had remarkably accurate memories of the event,
• A thief was shot and killed by police and witnesses were interviewed, thirteen of them were invited to be re-interviewed five months later. Recall was found to be highly accurate, even after this time period.