EWT

• What does Eyewitness Testimony (EWT) refer to?

  Remembering event details
• The accuracy of EWT can be affected by factors such as misleading information
• EWT is a regularly deciding factor in the criminal justice system.
• What are the two types of misleading information that can negatively influence EWT accuracy?

  Leading questions and PED
• Leading questions suggest a desired answer
• Post-event discussion can include leading questions.
• Who conducted the study on traffic collisions using misleading verbs?

  Loftus and Palmer
• Steps in the Loftus and Palmer (1975) study

  1️⃣ Participants were shown videos of traffic collisions

  2️⃣ Participants completed a questionnaire about the events

  3️⃣ The critical verb in the question was changed

  4️⃣ Vehicle speed estimates were recorded
• Which critical verb in the Loftus and Palmer study resulted in the fastest vehicle speed estimates?

  Smashed
• Leading questions can skew eyewitness testimony.
• Match the explanation for why leading questions affect EWT with its description:

  Response bias ↔️ Wording influences answer

  Substitution ↔️ Wording changes memory
• Who conducted the study using false alcohol-related information to test memory recall?

  Clifasefi
• Participants in Clifasefi's study were given a document claiming to be a personalised food and drink profile
• What does PED stand for in the context of EWT?

  Post-event discussion
• Post-event discussions may influence the accuracy of eyewitness recall.
• Which researchers investigated the effect of PED on EWT using a video of a girl stealing money?

  Gabbert et al
• Steps in the Gabbert et al (2003) study

  1️⃣ Participants watched a video of a girl stealing money

  2️⃣ Participants were tested individually or in pairs

  3️⃣ Co-witnesses discussed the crime together

  4️⃣ All participants completed a memory questionnaire
• In the Gabbert et al study, 71% of the co-witness group recalled information they had not actually seen
• Evidence suggests that misleading information can lead to EWT inaccuracy.
• What technique is evidenced to improve the accuracy of EWT through enhanced police interviews?

  Cognitive Interview
• What is the primary goal of the Cognitive Interview technique?

  Improve memory retrieval
• The four main techniques of the Cognitive Interview

  1️⃣ Report everything

  2️⃣ Reinstate the context

  3️⃣ Reverse the order

  4️⃣ Change the perspective
• Match the Cognitive Interview technique with its description:

  Report everything ↔️ Encourage all details

  Reinstate the context ↔️ Return to the scene mentally

  Reverse the order ↔️ Recall events in reverse

  Change the perspective ↔️ Consider other viewpoints
• Who developed additional elements of the Cognitive Interview focusing on social dynamics?

  Fisher et al
• Research evidence supports the effectiveness of the Cognitive Interview.
• In Geiselman's 1985 study, what was the average number of correctly recalled facts using the Cognitive Interview?

  41.2
• The Cognitive Interview is particularly useful when interviewing older witnesses
• What is one weakness of the Cognitive Interview in terms of practicality?

  Time-consuming