2.5.2 Anxiety

• What is eyewitness testimony based on?

  Memory of an observed event
• An example of eyewitness testimony is when someone describes the appearance of a robber in court after witnessing a bank robbery
• Anxiety always enhances memory encoding.

  False
• What effect does low anxiety have on memory encoding?

  Poor attention and weak encoding
• Moderate anxiety enhances memory encoding due to increased alertness
• What impact does high anxiety have on memory encoding?

  Impairs memory encoding
• Low anxiety leads to heightened alertness and improved memory encoding.

  False
• Heightened alertness due to moderate anxiety enhances memory encoding
• In the study by Johnson and Scott (1976), what was the effect of high anxiety on eyewitness accuracy?

  Less accurate identification
• In the study by Yuille and Cutshall (1986), what was the effect of high anxiety on eyewitness accuracy?

  More accurate testimony
• What do studies on anxiety and eyewitness accuracy investigate?

  Reliability of eyewitness testimony
• Johnson and Scott (1976) found that high anxiety led to less accurate identification
• What did Yuille and Cutshall (1986) observe about anxiety and eyewitness accuracy in a real-life crime?

  High anxiety increased accuracy
• The nature of the event influences the impact of anxiety on eyewitness accuracy.
• The Yerkes-Dodson Law suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between anxiety and memory
• What level of anxiety does the Yerkes-Dodson Law suggest is optimal for memory encoding?

  Moderate anxiety
• Eyewitness testimony refers to the statements made by a witness in court
• What are the effects of low, moderate, and high anxiety on memory encoding as described by the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

  Poor, enhanced, impaired
• High anxiety during a stressful event may lead to a focus on survival rather than details, impairing memory encoding.
• The Yerkes-Dodson Law describes an inverted U-shaped relationship between anxiety levels and memory performance
• Low anxiety levels lead to optimal memory encoding.

  False
• Moderate anxiety levels result in heightened alertness
• High anxiety levels improve memory encoding.

  False
• Why might a witness with moderate anxiety during a crime have better memory recall?

  Heightened alertness
• Match the study with its key findings:

  Johnson & Scott (1976) ↔️ High anxiety decreased eyewitness accuracy

  Yuille & Cutshall (1986) ↔️ High anxiety increased eyewitness accuracy
• Johnson & Scott's study used a laboratory experiment in a staged crime
• Yuille & Cutshall conducted their study in a field setting.
• Why might laboratory experiments lack real-world validity?

  Artificial anxiety levels
• Order the following scenarios based on anxiety levels and their impact on memory:

  1️⃣ Low Anxiety: Casual observer of a minor traffic accident with inaccurate recall

  2️⃣ Moderate Anxiety: Verbal altercation witness with improved memory

  3️⃣ High Anxiety: Robbery victim with fragmented testimony
• Eyewitness testimony refers to statements made by a witness in court
• Anxiety can only decrease memory accuracy.

  False
• What is the effect of moderate anxiety on memory encoding?

  Increased alertness
• Johnson & Scott found that high anxiety during a staged crime led to less accurate identification
• Yuille & Cutshall's study showed that high anxiety during a real crime improved eyewitness accuracy.
• What shape describes the relationship between anxiety levels and memory performance according to the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

  Inverted U-shaped
• The Yerkes-Dodson Law describes an inverted U-shaped relationship between anxiety levels and memory performance
• Moderate anxiety levels lead to optimal memory encoding due to heightened alertness.
• High anxiety levels impair memory encoding because stress overshadows details
• Match the study with its findings:

  Johnson & Scott (1976) ↔️ High anxiety decreased accuracy

  Yuille & Cutshall (1986) ↔️ High anxiety increased accuracy
• What type of research design did Johnson & Scott use in their study?

  Laboratory experiment