MEMORY ( Eye witness testimonies) Flashcards
(10 cards)
Outline misleading information
Refers to incorrect or distorted information given to an eyewitness after the event , which can alter their memory of what actually happened.
Outline leading questions as a form of misleading information and the key study into them
Leading questions are questions suggests to the witness what answer is desired or leads him or her to the desired answer.
Key study : Loftus and Palmer
Participants watched a video of a car crash. They were asked “How fast were the cars going when they hit/smashed/collided/contacted/bumped?”. The verb affected their speed estimate eg. “smashed” led to higher speeds. In a follow - up those who heard “smashed” were also more likely to ( falsely) recall seeing broken glass. Leading questions can distort memory , reducing EWT accuracy.
Outline Post-event discussion as a form of misleading information and the key study into them
When eyewitnesses discuss the event with others , which may lead to them to incorporate false details into their own memory eg. Conformity effect - if another person wrongly says there was a knife , the witness might later remember seeing one too.
Repeat interviewing - each time an eyewitness is interviewed there is a possibility that comments from the interviewer may become incorporated into their recollection of events , interviewer may also use leading questions
Evaluate Misleading information as an affect to accuracy of eye witness testimony
STRENGTHS :
Research support : lab experiments like Loftus and Palmer show a clear cause and effect relationships bet misleading information and distorted memory. Provides high internal validity the IV (leading questions) influences DV ( accuracy of memory).
However videos of car crashes are emotionally neutral and not as stressful as witnessing a real event therefore low ecological validity , limiting generalisability of results.
Real world application : Findings from misleading information studies have influenced how police conduct interviews. Introduction of cognitive interview techniques avoids leading questions and encourages accurate recall. Helps improve the justice system and prevent wrongful convictions. High external validity due to the it’s useful applications
WEAKNESSES :
Individual differences : The effect of misleading information varies between individuals. Older people tend to be less accurate than younger people but are just as confident. Suggesting age , confidence and prior knowledge influences memory.
Demand characteristics : Participants in labs may guess the aim of the study and respond accordingly. This can exaggerate the effect of misleading information. Results may reflect participant expectations , not genuine memory distortion.
Define anxiety
Anxiety is a state of emotional arousal involving feelings of tension and increased physiological activity ( heart rate ) , which can affect memory and concentration
Outline anxiety’s negative effect on accuracy ( study)
High anxiety may impair recall de to stress and panic.
Weapon focus effect : participants saw a man with either a pen ( low anxiety) or a knife covered in blood ( high anxiety) .
Findings : Those in the high- anxiety condition were less accurate 33% in identifying the man , possibly due to attention being drawn to the weapon not the face.
Outline anxiety’s positive effect on accuracy ( study)
Moderate levels of anxiety may improve recall due to heightened alertness.
Real life robbery : Yuillie & Cutshall ( 1986) Real- life robbery witnesses in Canada were interviewed months later . Those who experienced higher levels of stress at the time were more accurate , even after time had passes. Real life anxiety can enhance memory accuracy
Evaluate the role of anxiety in accuracy of EWT
Inverted - U theory : suggests moderate anxiety leads to optimal performance , while too little or too much reduces accuracy. This helps explain the mixed findings , but it is too simplistic and it doesn’t consider individual differences ( eg. emotional sensitivity or memory ability)
Real world relevance : real robbery study has high ecological validity as it was with real witnesses , making findings more generalisable. However , lack of control of extraneous variables like post-event discussion weakens cause-effect conclusions.
Ethical issues : Creating anxiety in lab experiments ( showing weapons) can cause psychological harm , raising ethical concerns. However , such methods are needed to understand real - life situations and improve police procedures.
Outline the cognitive interview and it’s features as a way of improving the accuracy of eye witness testimony
The cognitive interview was developed by Fisher and Geiselman to improve the accuracy of EWT by using psychological principles
- report everything - witness recalls all details even if they seem irrelevant. Minor details may trigger other important memories
- reinstate the context - witnesses mentally recreate the environment and emotions felt at the time of the incident based on context-dependent cues
- reverse the order - events are recalled in a different chronological order ( end to start) , preventing using expectations or pre-existing schema
- change perspective - witness describes the event from another person’s viewpoint , reduces the influence of schemas and biases
Evaluate the cognitive interview
STRENGTHS :
Research support : meta analysis by kohnken found that the CI produces more accurate information than standard police interviews. Shows effectiveness in improving eyewitness recall , when all 4 techniques are used.
LIMITS :
Time consuming and costly : takes longer to conduct than standard interviews and requires special training. Many police forces may not use the full version , instead relying on modified versions , reducing effectiveness
Increase in inaccurate information : CI may also increase the amount of incorrect information recalled. Kohnken found 61% increase in incorrect details alongside correct ones. Increase in quantity but not necessarily quality
Some elements are more useful than others : “reinstate context” & “report everything” are the most effectiv elements. Police may focus on that to save time but using only parts of CI may reduce effectiveness
