Psychology paper 2

• The more severe the verb (smashed/collided/bumped/hit/contacted), the higher the speed estimate
• Tulving et al (1994) research

  Cognitive neuroscience research into Long Term Memory
• Participants performed memory tasks

  1. Brain scanned using PET scanner

  2. Left prefrontal cortex involved in semantic memories

  3. Right prefrontal cortex involved in recalling episodic memories
• Applied cognitive psychology


  • Wide range of real life practical and theoretical contexts
  • CBT use for mental health issues such as depression and OCD
• Interactionist theory


  'Soft determinism' - cognitive systems operate within limits of what we know, we have free choice in how we think and behave
• Research


  Loftus and Palmer Cognitive approach
• The participants in the first experiment were 45 students of the University of Washington
• Experiment procedure


  1. Shown seven film-clips of traffic accidents

  2. Asked a critical question about the speed of the vehicles involved in the collision
• Experiment conditions


  • Five conditions (each with nine participants)
  • Independent variable manipulated by means of the wording of the questions
• Question wording


  • 'How fast were the cars going when they smashed/collided/bumped/hit/contacted each other?'
• The results found that the more severe the verb the higher the speed estimate