Misleading Information

• who conducted the study into leading questions?

  Loftus & Palmer 1974
• What was Loftus and Palmers procedure?

  • participants watched a video of a car crash/automobile accidents
  • then were asked a question that used a different verb to describe the movement of the car
  • question asked: How fast was the car going when it smashed/hit/bumped/collided?
• what where the findings of Loftus and Palmer's study?

  findings:

  • changing the verb in the leading question changed the estimated speed given by the participant
  • creating bias in an eyewitness testimony and recall of the event
• more finding of Loftus and Palmer

  average speed in mph of the verb used:

  smashed -> 40.8 mph

  collided -> 39.3 mph

  bumped -> 38.1 mph

  hit -> 34.0 mph

  quasi ratio -> F'(5,55)= 4.65, p < 0.005
• what was the procedure & findings of Loftus & Palmers experiment 2?

  • participants watched a short film
  • filled in a questionnaire -> included the question with the different verbs
  • came back 1 week later
  • were asked the question 'did you see any broken glass?'
  • estimated the speed of the car
  • findings: smashed was said more often and estimated to have 10.46 mph
• strength of Loftus and Palmer

  important real-life application -> effect the ways that interviews are conducted after a crime has taken place e.g. stop using leading questions, separating witnesses for interviews

  this is a strength because:

  • it has ecological validity
  • provides research support
  • reduces false convictions in the justice system
• criticism of Loftus & Palmer

  artificial tasks & no consequences -> not true to life/ not done in everyday life

  this is a criticism because :

  • lacks ecological validity/ external validity -> as it cant be generalised to real life
  • has effects of misleading information

  however it has a minor strength as it has good internal validity -> due to it being highly controlled