misleading information

• What is eyewitness testimony (EWT)?

  The account given by someone of an event
• Why is it important to study factors affecting EWT accuracy?

  30 years of research suggests EWT is unreliable
• What percentage of people studied by Wells (1998) were wrongly convicted based on EWT?

  More than 90%
• What are the consequences of inaccurate EWT?

  Miscarriages of justice and wasted resources
• What factors affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?

  • Misleading information
  • Leading questions
  • Post-event discussion
  • Anxiety
• What are leading questions?

  Questions that suggest a particular answer
• What is misleading information?

  Inaccurate info given after the event
• What was the question posed by Loftus and Palmer in their study?

  How fast were the cars going when they contacted/hit/bumped/collided?
• What was the highest speed estimation in Loftus and Palmer's study?

  $40.8 \text{ mph}$
• What was the lowest speed estimation in Loftus and Palmer's study?

  $31.8 \text{ mph}$
• What conclusion can be drawn from Loftus and Palmer's findings?

  The verb used influenced recall of the event
• What are the criticisms of Loftus and Palmer's study?

  • Generalisability issues
  • Reliability concerns
  • Laboratory setting application
  • Lack of ecological validity
  • Ethical concerns regarding trauma
• What did Yuille and Cutshall (1986) find about eyewitness reports?

  Witnesses gave accurate reports four months later
• How does Yuille and Cutshall's study contradict Loftus and Palmer's findings?

  Leading questions did not affect accuracy in real life
• What is post-event discussion?

  • A conversation between witnesses
  • Can influence memory recall
• What did Gabbert et al (2003) study involve?

  Participants watching a video of a girl
• What was the outcome for the control group in Gabbert et al's study?

  0% recalled information they hadn't seen
• What was the outcome for the experimental group in Gabbert et al's study?

  Allowed to discuss and recall information
• Why is eyewitness testimony important in legal contexts?

  It can influence verdicts and convictions
• How does memory play a role in eyewitness accounts?

  Memory accuracy affects the reliability of testimony
• How can stress and anxiety impact memory recall?

  They can impair the accuracy of memories
• What are the implications of misleading information on justice?

  It can lead to wrongful convictions
• What is a key difference between laboratory and real-world studies on EWT?

  Real-world studies involve real consequences
• What ethical considerations arise in studies on EWT?

  Potential trauma from witnessing events