methods & proc

• the methodology used was an experiment conducted in a lab
• experiment 1 and experiment 2 used an independant measures design and oppourtunity sampling
• the independant variable was the verb used and the dependant variable was the speed estimate (experi 1) or wether they saw broken glass (experi 2)
• there were 45 students in experiment 1
• there were 150 students in experiment 2
• experiment 1=

  • ppts were shown seven films of traffic accidents and asked to give an account of the accident they had just seen
  • critical question of "how fast the cars were going when they __ each other?
  • filled by one of verbs: smashed, hit , collided, bumped or contacted
  • speed estimates were recorded
• experiment 2=

  • 150 ppt shown one clip of a multiple car crash
  • 50 were asked- how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other
  • 50 asked- the same question with the word hit
  • 50 werent asked about the speed
  • 1 week later, they asked the critical question "did you see any broken glass". there were no broken glass