Eyewitness testimony: misleading information ao1

• What is the main focus of Loftus and Palmer's study (1974)?

  Misleading information in eyewitness testimony
• What was the critical question asked to participants in Loftus and Palmer's study?

  'About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?'
• What verbs were used in Loftus and Palmer's critical question?

  • Hit
  • Contacted
  • Bumped
  • Collided
  • Smashed
• What was the mean estimated speed for the verb 'contacted'?

  31.8 mph
• What was the mean estimated speed for the verb 'smashed'?

  40.5 mph
• How did the verb 'smashed' affect eyewitness recall?

  It suggested a faster speed than 'contacted'
• What are the two explanations for why leading questions affect eyewitness testimony (EWT)?

  Response-bias and substitution explanations
• What does the response-bias explanation suggest?

  Wording influences the kind of answer given
• What does the substitution explanation imply?

  Wording distorts the original memory's accuracy
• What was the focus of Gabbert et al.'s study (2003)?

  Post-event discussion and memory conformity
• How were participants paired in Gabbert et al.'s study?

  They watched a video of the same crime
• What was the outcome for participants who discussed the video before recall?

  71% recalled aspects they did not see
• What was the control group's condition in Gabbert et al.'s study?

  No discussion and no subsequent errors
• What does memory conformity refer to?

  Witnesses go along with each other
• Why does post-event information affect EWT?

  It mixes misinformation with original memories
• What motivates witnesses to conform to others' accounts?

  Social approval or belief in others' accuracy