Anxiety

• Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional condition characterised by intense discomfort and fear. It produces physiological changes such as rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils, increased sweating, and shallow breathing. This frequently inhibits us from paying attention to vital cues, resulting in poor recall.
• Anxiety has a negative effect on recall (weapon focus) Johnson and Scott (1976) conducted an experiment to see if anxiety affects the accuracy of eyewitness testimony Johnson and Scott invited participants to a laboratory where they were told to wait in the reception area. Both groups then later had to identify the man from a set of 50 photos.
• Findings Those who had witness the man holding a pen correctly identified the target 49% of the time Those who had witness the man holding a bloodied knife, correctly identified the target 33% of the time

  Conclusion The participants who were exposed to the knife had higher levels of anxiety and were more likely to focus their attention on the weapon and not the face of the target. Therefore, the anxiety associated with seeing a knife reduces the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
• Who conducted the study on eyewitness testimony accuracy?

  Yuille and Cutshall
• What was the main purpose of Yuille and Cutshall's study?


  To investigate the accuracy of an eyewitness's testimony to a real crime
• Where did the actual shooting incident take place?

  Vancouver, Canada
• How many witnesses were there in total for the incident studied?

  21 witnesses
• How many witnesses participated in Yuille and Cutshall's study?

  13 witnesses
• When were the participants interviewed after the incident?

  4 to 5 months after the incident
• How was the accuracy of the eyewitness accounts determined in the study?

  By the number of details reported in each account
• What scale was used to measure the stress levels of the witnesses?

  A 7-point scale
• What additional information were the witnesses asked about after the incident?

  Whether they had any emotional problems since the event
• What was the overall accuracy of the witnesses' accounts?


  The witnesses were very accurate
• How did the accuracy of eyewitness accounts change over the five months?


  There was little change in the amount recalled or accuracy
• What was the accuracy percentage for participants who reported the highest levels of stress?


  88%
• How did the accuracy of the less stressed group compare to the highly stressed group?


  75% for the less stressed group
• What does the study suggest about the effect of anxiety on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony?

  Anxiety does not have a detrimental effect and may enhance accuracy
• How does the effect of anxiety in real life differ from that in laboratory settings according to the study?

  Anxiety does not seem to have the same effect in real life as it does in the lab
• What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law of arousal?


  It explains the relationship between anxiety and performance, suggesting an optimal level of arousal for maximum accuracy.
• What did Deffenbacher review in his study?


  He reviewed 21 studies on the effects of anxiety on eyewitness testimony (EWT).
• What were the contradictory findings noted by Deffenbacher regarding anxiety and EWT?


  10 studies suggested higher accuracy while 11 suggested lower accuracy due to anxiety.
• How does the Yerkes-Dodson Law explain the effects of anxiety on EWT?


  It suggests that moderate anxiety enhances EWT, while very high anxiety reduces accuracy.
• What happens to recall when a witness experiences too much arousal according to the Yerkes-Dodson Law?


  Recall suffers a drastic decline.
• What physiological response do witnesses experience when witnessing a crime?


  They experience emotional anxiety and physiological arousal, such as the fight or flight response.
• What is the relationship between anxiety and performance according to the Yerkes-Dodson Law?


  • Moderate anxiety enhances performance
  • High anxiety reduces performance
  • There is an optimal level of arousal for maximum accuracy
• What type of experiment is described in the study material?

  Quasi-experiment
• Why is this study considered a quasi-experiment?


  Because the independent variable (anxiety level) was not manipulated by the researchers
• What is the independent variable in this study?

  Anxiety level
• Why could participants not be randomly allocated to the conditions of the independent variable?


  Because anxiety level is a naturally occurring condition
• What is a limitation of not randomly allocating participants in this study?

  There may be confounding variables that vary
• What is an example of a confounding variable mentioned in the study material?


  People who are naturally more anxious may also be easy-to-distract
• What type of sampling method was used in this study?

  Opportunity sampling
• Why was opportunity sampling used in this study?


  Because participants were people visiting the London Dungeon on that particular day
• What is a benefit of using opportunity sampling compared to other methods?


  It is more convenient and quicker to select participants
• What are the differences between closed and open questions?

  • Closed question: Provides limited response options (e.g., "Was the person you encountered in the Labyrinth a woman or a man?")
  • Open question: Allows for detailed responses (e.g., "Please describe what the person you encountered in the Labyrinth looked like.")
• What is one strength of the evidence regarding the negative effects of anxiety on eyewitness testimonies?


  Evidence from Valentine and Mesout (2009)
• What did Valentine and Mesout (2009) use to measure anxiety levels in participants?


  An objective measure using a wireless heart monitor
• How were participants divided in the study by Valentine and Mesout (2009)?


  Into high and low anxiety groups
• What was the main finding regarding the recall ability of participants in the high anxiety group?


  They had disrupted ability to recall details
• What percentage of the high anxiety group correctly identified the actors in the study?


  17%