Factors Affecting Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimonies

• What is the role of eyewitnesses in court?

  They provide evidence that could result in convictions
• What factors can affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?

  Misleading information, post-event discussion, and anxiety
• What is Bartlett's argument regarding memories?

  • Memories are not accurate snapshots
  • They are reconstructive
  • Developed the concept of schemas
• What are schemas in psychology?

  Schemas are packages of information used to understand the world
• How do schemas affect eyewitness testimony?

  Schemas can lead to errors in memory reconstruction
• What term did Bartlett use to describe false memories?

  Confabulations
• What is substitution bias in memory recall?

  When the actual memory changes and replaces the old memory
• What is response bias in memory recall?

  When emotional pressure alters the response without changing the memory
• What is post-event discussion?

  It is the contamination of eyewitness testimony with another witness's memory
• What is memory conformity?

  When witnesses alter their testimony to match other witnesses' accounts
• How did Loftus's study demonstrate the effect of leading questions?

  By changing the verb used in questions, influencing speed estimates
• What were the speed estimates for the verb "contacted" in Loftus's study?

  31.8 miles per hour
• What were the speed estimates for the verb "smashed" in Loftus's study?

  40.5 miles per hour
• What was the follow-up question in Loftus's second study?

  Did you see any broken glass?
• What did the results of Loftus's second study suggest?

  Misleading information can lead to false memories
• What did Gabbert's study demonstrate about eyewitness testimony?

  Witnesses can include items they didn't see due to discussion
• What percentage of participants included items they hadn't seen in Gabbert's study?

  71 percent
• How does anxiety affect eyewitness testimony?

  Anxiety can either decrease or increase recall accuracy
• What is the weapon focus effect?

  When a witness focuses on a weapon and neglects other details
• What does the Yerkes-Dodson law of arousal suggest?

  There is an optimal level of anxiety for recall accuracy
• What were the findings of Johnson and Scott's study regarding anxiety and recall?

  Participants identified the man with a pen better than the man with a knife
• What percentage of participants could identify the man with the pen in Johnson and Scott's study?

  49 percent
• What percentage of participants could identify the man with the knife in Johnson and Scott's study?

  33 percent
• What did Peters's study find regarding recall accuracy?

  Recall was worse for identifying a nurse than a researcher
• What is a criticism of lab studies on eyewitness testimony?

  They often lack real-world consequences
• What is the cognitive interview?

  A technique developed to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
• What ethical concerns are associated with research on anxiety and eyewitness testimony?

  It may cause harm and lacks informed consent
• What should you do to prepare for an exam on factors affecting eyewitness testimony?

  Review the research studies and their implications
• What are the limitations of eyewitness testimony research?

  • Low validity due to lack of real-world consequences
  • Demand characteristics affecting participant responses
  • Ethical concerns regarding participant harm