Accuracy of EWT

• What are the 3 specific factors that affect the accuracy of EWT?

  1. Misleading information including Leading Questions
  2. Misleading information including Post event Discussion
  3. Anxiety
• What is EWT?


  The ability to remember the details of events, such as accidents and crimes, which they themselves have observed.
• What is Misleading information?

  Any type of info that may affect the accuracy of peoples testimony eg leading questions. This type of info might influence eye witness' recall as their memories might become distorted.
• What is a Leading question?

  A question which, because of the way it is phrased, suggests a certain answer.
• Whats an example of a Leading question?

  'Was the knife in the accused's left hand?' This suggests the answer is 'left hand'.
• Why are Leading questions a problem?

  Retroactive interference. Incoming information is integrated and confused with existing knowledge.
• What experiment supports LQ's?

  Loftus & Palmer (1974)
• What is Post-event discussion?

  When co-witnesses to a crime discuss it with each other, their eyewitness testimonies may become contaminated. This is because they combine (mis)information from other witnesses with their own memories.
• What research supports Post-event discussion?

  Gabbert et al (2003)
• What is Anxiety?


  A state of emotional and physical arousal. The emotions include having worried thoughts and feelings of tension. Physical changes include and increased heart rate and sweat. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations, but can affect the accuracy and detail of EWT.
• What research supports Anxiety?

  The Yerkes Dodson Law top box.
• What is the weapon focus effect?

  This is where in violent crimes, arousal may focus the witness on more central details of the attack (e.g. weapon) Han the more peripheral details (e.g. what else was going on and what the perpetrator looked like) due to the witness only focusing on the weapon in front of them.
• What is the positive effect Anxiety has on recall?

  Fight or flight response is triggered which increases our alertness and improves our memory for the event because we become more aware of the cues in the situation.
• What is the negative effect Anxiety has on recall?

  Anxiety creates arousal in the body which prevents us paying attention to important cues, so recall is worse.