M - Eyewitness testimony Flashcards
(21 cards)
what is the influence of a schema of an EWT
- memories are no accurate snapshots of events but are reconstructions
- reconstructions are influenced by active schemas
what are factors affecting the accuracy of EWT
- leading questions
- post-event discussions
what was the research into leading questions
LOFTUS AND PALMER
what did loftus and palmer’s research include
A: to investigate the influence of the language used in EWT and how it alters memory
M: lab experiment with 5 conditions, independent groups
- smashed
- collided
- bumped
- hit
- contacted
what were the results of the Loftus and Palmer research experiment 1
what is the research into post-event discussion
Gabbert: the control group could not discuss, experimental group could
watched a video of a girl stealing money
CG: no false recall
EG: 71% recalled false information
what are the 2 principles that cognitive interviews are based on
- organisation
- cue-dependency
how do cognitive interviews use organisation
- by ordering memories in a certain way means more can be accessed
- so a series of actions can help reach memories you are struggling to remember
how do cognitive interviews use cue-dependency
as memories are context-dependent as they use situational and emotional cues present during the original coding
what are the 4 techniques cognitive interviewers use
- reinstate context
- change the narrative order
- change the perspective
- report everything
how does reinstating context help interviewees
allows them to go back in their mind to the context in which they encoded the memory
how does changing the narrative order help interviewees
it ensures that details are not skipped and gaps in original order can be filled
how does changing the perspective help interviewees
- helps provide more detail like recalling the story from the offenders point of view
how does reporting everything help interviewees
- adds more detail and information for the interviewers even if it does not seem to be bearing on the crime
what is the enhanced cognitive interview (Fisher and Geiselman)
- builds a trusting relationship between interviewer and witness, which appears to improve the communication between the 2
+ strength of the ECI
- ECIs produced more accurate detail compared to CI
- especially for personal details of the people
AO3: EWT study has low…
ecological validity
- occured in a lab and pts knew they were part of a study - demand characteristics
AO3: X all of the participants were
students -> not generalisable to general population
AO3: + study has many practical applications
- police questioning witness
- teachers asking/setting questions
what was Loftus and Palmer second experiment aim
to investigate if leading questions just create a response bias or if they actually alter memory
- a week after seeing the clip of a car, they were asked if they saw broken glass
what were the results of Loftus and Palmer second experiment
