Misleading information

• Misleading information - Incorrect information given to an eyewitness usually after the event

  It can take many forms, including:

  • Leading questions
  • Post-event discussion
• Leading question - A question which, because of the way it is phrased, suggests a certain answer
• Why leading questions affect EWT:

  RESPONSE BIAS EXPLANATION

  • Suggests that the wording of the question has no real effect on the participants' memories, but just influences how they decide to answer
  • When a pp gets a leading question using the word 'smashed', this encourages them to choose a higher speed estimate
• Why leading questions affect EWT:

  SUBSTITUTION EXPLANATION

  • Loftus and Palmer (1974) conducted another experiment where the wording of a leading question actually changes the participant's memory of the film clip
  • This was demonstrated because participants who originally heard 'smashed' later were more likely to report seeing broken glass (there was none) that those who heard 'hit'
  • The critical verb altered their memory of the incident
• Post-event discussion (PED) - Occurs when there is more than one witness to an event. Witnesses may discuss what they have seen with co-witnesses or with other people

  • This may influence the accuracy of each witness's recall of the event
• Why post event discussion affects EWT:

  MEMORY CONTAMINATION

  • When co-witnesses to a crime discuss it with each other, their eyewitness testimonies may become altered or distorted
  • This is because they combine (mis)information from other witnesses with their own memories
• Why post event discussion affects EWT:

  MEMORY CONFORMITY

  • Gabbert et al (2003) concluded that witnesses often go along with each other, either to win social approval or because they believe the other witnesses are right and they are wrong
  • Unlike with memory contamination, the actual memory is unchanged