The findings indicate that the form of a question (in this case, changes in a single word) can markedly & systematically affect a witness’s answer to that question
Response - bias factors
The different speed estimates occur because the critical word (e.g., ‘smashed’ or ‘hit’) influences or biases a person’s response
the memory representation is altered
The critical word changes a person’s memory so that their perception of the accident is affected. Some critical words would lead someone to have a perception of the accident having been more serious
