EWT- Anxiety

• Anxiety had a Negative Effect

  Johnson and Scott (1976)

  49% of participants in the low-anxiety condition were able to identify the man in the line up.

  High anxiety condition participants was 33%.

  The Tunnel theory of memory argues that a witness's attention is on the weapon (Weapon Focus), because it is a source of danger and anxiety.
• Anxiety had a Positive Effect

  Yuille and Cutshall (1986)

  Witnesses were very accurate and there was little change after 5 months.
• Explaining Contradictory Findings

  Inverted 'U' Theory- Yerkes and Dodson (1908)

  Argued that extremely high levels of anxiety would produce low recall and extremely low levels of anxiety will produce low recall but medium levels of anxiety produce high levels of recall.
• Negative Evaluations

  Johnson and Scott's study is that it may test surprise not anxiety.

  Field studies lack control over variables.

  Some ethical issues involved in researching anxiety.

  Yerkes-Dodson Law is limited as it's too simplistic.

  Demand characteristics may have arose in the studies.