2.5.2.1 Effects of Anxiety on Recall

• What is the weapon focus effect?

  Attention fixates on a weapon during a crime
• How does moderate arousal affect memory recall?

  • Moderate arousal can enhance memory recall
  • Example: A moderate scare improves memory of a creepy scene
• What is the main finding of Pickel (1998) regarding weapon presence?

  • Participants: Students
  • Presence of a weapon negatively impacted accurate recall of a suspect
  • Demonstrates the Weapon Focus Effect
• What is the x-axis label in the graph?

  Confidence Bin
• How does the Yuille and Cutshall study support the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

  Moderate arousal enhances memory recall accuracy
• What did Yuille & Cutshall (1986) discover about high anxiety witnesses?

  • Participants: Eyewitnesses of a real shooting
  • High anxiety witnesses recalled more accurate details than low anxiety witnesses
  • Supports Yerkes-Dodson Law: moderate arousal enhances memory
• What are the three lines shown in the graph?

  No Weapon, Weapon Concealed, Weapon Shown
• What does the Yerkes-Dodson Law state about arousal and recall?

  Moderate arousal sharpens recall up to a point
• How does anxiety affect eyewitness recall?

  It can reduce the precision of memories
• In a situation where a robber points a gun, how might anxiety affect memory recall?

  Anxiety sharpens recall of details
• What does the Yerkes-Dodson Law state about performance and arousal?

  Performance increases with arousal up to a point
• How does the probability of correct response change as confidence increases across the three weapon conditions?

  • In the "No Weapon" condition, probability increases steadily as confidence increases
  • In the "Weapon Concealed" condition, probability increases more gradually as confidence increases
  • In the "Weapon Shown" condition, probability increases more sharply as confidence increases, but remains lower than the other two conditions
• What happens to memory when anxiety is too high?

  Memory becomes impaired
• What is the relationship between high anxiety and eyewitness descriptions?

  High anxiety leads to less reliable descriptions
• What does the graph about the weapon focus effect illustrate?

  • Eyewitnesses have poorer recall when a weapon is present
  • Lower proportion of correct recall with a weapon
  • Particularly noticeable at lower confidence levels
• What is the effect of physiological arousal on memory?

  It affects how we remember things
• What are the key findings of Loftus & Burns (1982)?

  • Participants: University students
  • High anxiety group recalled fewer details after violent scenes
  • Supports Yerkes-Dodson Law: excessive arousal impairs memory
• How does anxiety influence physiological arousal?

  Anxiety increases adrenaline and cortisol release
• What is the impact of full-blown panic on memory recall?

  • Full-blown panic clouds memory
  • Makes it harder to recall details accurately
• What are the key points of the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

  • Performance increases with arousal to a point
  • Moderate anxiety enhances memory
  • High anxiety impairs memory
  • Example: Anxiety during a robbery sharpens recall
• What are the key differences in probability of correct response between the "No Weapon", "Weapon Concealed", and "Weapon Shown" conditions?

  • "No Weapon" condition has the highest probability of correct response across all confidence bins
  • "Weapon Concealed" condition has a lower probability of correct response compared to "No Weapon"
  • "Weapon Shown" condition has the lowest probability of correct response across all confidence bins
• How does moderate anxiety affect memory according to the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

  It can enhance memory
• What do several studies support and contradict regarding anxiety?

  The effects of anxiety on eyewitness testimony
• What do these studies collectively highlight about anxiety and recall?

  • Effects of anxiety on recall are complex
  • Influenced by level of arousal
  • Context of the situation matters
• How does the weapon focus effect impact eyewitness recall?

  It reduces their ability to recall other details
• What does the Loftus & Burns study indicate about high anxiety and recall accuracy?

  High anxiety impairs recall accuracy
• What is the relationship between anxiety levels and memory recall in the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

  Moderate anxiety enhances recall, high anxiety impairs it
• What does anxiety refer to in eyewitness testimony?

  Stress and fear experienced during witnessing
• What is the Weapon Focus Effect as demonstrated by Pickel's study?

  Weapon presence reduces recall of other features
• What does the y-axis represent in the graph?

  Probability Correct
• What happens to memory when arousal becomes excessive?

  It clouds memory, making recall harder
• What did Valentine & Mesout (2009) find regarding high anxiety visitors?

  • Participants: Visitors to London Dungeon
  • High anxiety visitors recalled fewer details about a staged event
  • Supports Yerkes-Dodson Law: excessive arousal impairs memory