Loftus & Palmer (1974)- Cognitive- Schema theory, ethical concerns in memory, cognitive processes, reconstructive memory, emotion on cognition

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate the reliability of memory using leading questions

Question 2

Results

Answer 2

The study found that the verb used in the critical question had a clear impact on participants’ speed estimates.

Participants who heard the verb “smashed” gave the highest speed estimates.

Those who heard the verb “contacted” gave the lowest speed estimates.

The differences in estimated speed were statistically significant, suggesting that leading questions can distort memory.

Question 2

Procedure

Answer 2

Participants were divided into five groups of 9 participants each.

Each participant watched seven short video clips of traffic accidents, ranging from 5 to 30 seconds. These clips were taken from driver’s education films.

After watching each video, participants were asked to write a brief account of what they saw.

Then, they completed a questionnaire that included a critical question about the speed of the cars:

“About how fast were the cars going when they ___ each other?”

The blank was filled with one of five verbs, depending on the group: smashed, collided, bumped, hit, or contacted.

Each participant received only one version of the critical question, making this an independent measures design.

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

45 university students

Question 4

Strengths

Answer 4

High Control (Lab Experiment):

The study was conducted in a laboratory setting, which allowed control over confounding variables.

This strengthens internal validity, ensuring that the changes in speed estimates were due to the intensity of the verb (independent variable) and not other factors.

Independent Samples Design
By allocating each participant to just one type of question they can avoid demand Participants experienced each condition only once so they prevented demand characteristics

Question 5

Weaknesses

Answer 5

Low Ecological Validity:
Estimating speed based on a video clip is not a natural or familiar task, which may affect the authenticity of responses.

Unrepresentative Sample:
The sample consisted of university students, who may not represent the general population in terms of age, education, or life experience.

Ethical Concerns:
Watching car crash videos may cause undue stress to participants