factors affecting EWT accuracy

• What is the role of eyewitnesses in court?

  To provide evidence that can lead to convictions
• What factors can affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?

  Misleading information, post-event discussion, and anxiety
• What did Bartlett argue about memories?

  • Memories are not accurate snapshots
  • They are reconstructive in nature
  • Memories are influenced by schemas
• What is a schema according to Bartlett?

  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 for false memories?

  Confabulations
• What is substitution bias in memory recall?

  Old memory is replaced by new misleading information
• What is response bias in memory recall?

  Emotional pressure alters the reported memory
• What is post-event discussion?

  Witnesses discussing their memories with each other
• What is memory conformity?

  Witnesses alter their recall to match others' accounts
• How did Loftus's study demonstrate the effect of leading questions?

  Changing verbs influenced speed estimates of cars
• 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 study?

  Did you see any broken glass?
• What did the results of Loftus's follow-up question indicate?

  Misleading information changed participants' memories
• What did Gabbert's study demonstrate about eyewitness testimony?

  Witnesses included items they hadn't seen
• What is anxiety defined as in the context of eyewitness testimony?

  A mental state of arousal and caution
• How might anxiety affect eyewitness recall?

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

  Witnesses focus on the weapon, not the criminal
• What does the Yerkes-Dodson law suggest about anxiety and recall?

  Moderate anxiety improves recall, high anxiety decreases it
• What was the main finding of Johnson and Scott's study?

  Participants identified the man with the pen better
• What does Peters's study suggest about anxiety and recall?

  Recall was worse for identifying a nurse than a researcher
• What did the study by Uvul and Kutchal find about real-life eyewitness recall?

  Recall was highly accurate despite high stress
• What are the limitations of eyewitness testimony research?

  • Low validity due to lab settings
  • Demand characteristics may affect results
  • Ethical concerns regarding participant harm
• What is the cognitive interview?

  A technique to improve eyewitness testimony accuracy
• What can incorrect eyewitness testimony lead to?

  Wrongful convictions in court
• What is a potential consequence of lab studies on eyewitness testimony?

  They may lack real-world consequences
• Why might participants in eyewitness studies guess responses?

  Due to demand characteristics from researchers
• What ethical guidelines might be broken in eyewitness research?

  Informed consent and participant harm
• What should students do to prepare for exam questions on eyewitness testimony?

  Review factors affecting eyewitness testimony
• What are the key factors affecting eyewitness testimony?

  • Misleading information
  • Post-event discussion
  • Anxiety and its effects