AO3

• Evaluation Points for Anxiety on EWT

  • Lab based research: Loftus and Palmer
  • Research support for the negative effects of anxiety
  • Christianson and Hubinette: Limitations
• Lab Based: Loftus and Palmer

  POINT

  • Loftus and Palmers research was conducted in a lab environment with and artificial task.
• Lab Based: Loftus and Palmer

  EXPLANATION

  • Participants expected something to happen, whereas in real life people don't, meaning that the element of surprise in real life would induce more anxiety than they experienced in a lab.
• Lab Based: Loftus and Palmer


  EXAMPLE

  • Ppts would be less focused than they would be in real life, invalidating the results.
  • Ppts may also display demand characteristics as they know they are being observed.
• Lab Based: Loftus and Palmer


  LINK

  • This questions the reliability of Loftus and Palmer's findings and subsequently questions the validity of the weapon focus effect.
• Research Support for Negative Effect of Anxiety


  POINT

  • Valentine and Mesout conducted research which shows how anxiety decreases accuracy of recall.
• Research Support for Negative Effect of Anxiety


  EXPLANATION

  • They divided ppts into categories of low, medium and high anxiety by measuring their heart rate and found that those with high anxiety produced the worst recall of description of an actor in London Dungeons.
• Research Support for Negative Effect of Anxiety


  LINK

  • This shows that anxiety has a negative effect on accuracy of recall.
• Christianson and Hubinette: Limitations


  POINT

  • Christianson and Hubinettes study may not actually be testing anxiety and its effect on EWT.
• Christianson and Hubinette: Limitations

  EXPLANATION

  • Their study, although it was based on a real life situation, was conducted several months after the initial events took place, in which time they had no control over extraneous variables such as post-event discussion.
• Christianson and Hubinette: Limitations


  EXAMPLE

  • The effect of anxiety on their recall accuracy may have been overwhelmed by these extraneous variables.
  • The lack of control over extraneous variables may be responsible for their findings, as they would overpower the effects of anxiety.
• Christianson and Hubinette: Limitations


  LINK

  • This invalidated their findings and questions whether anxiety can have a positive effect on recall in EWT.