each group gave speed estimates of the cars based on the leading question 'how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?' with each group being exposed to a different critical verb - eg. smashed, contacted, bumped etc
average speed estimated for 'smashed was 40.5 mph
average speed estimated for 'contacted' was 31.8 mph
cocnluded that misleading information in the form of leading questions negavtively impacts accurate recall - decreases the accuracy
those exposed to the verb 'smashed' gave a speed estimate 8.7mph greater than those who had heard 'contacted' - shows that leading questions suggest there is a correct answer because of the way they are phrased
effects of leading questions explained through response bias
these questions only influence the participants to give a certain answer
loftus and palmer's study supports the substitution explanation - that leading questions change the eyewitness' memory of the crime
those who had heard the word 'smashed' were most likely to report gaving seen broken glass 2 weeks after the crime (despite there being no broken glass) compared to those who had heard the word 'contacted'
