8. Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety

• 1. Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety

  Weapon Focus:

  • Violent crimes; focus on weapon more than peripheral details (like what was going on).
• 2. Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety

  Johnson + Scott (1976):

  • 1 of 2 conditions.
  • Low key discussion; emerge w/ pen in greasy hands.
  • Heated discussion, breaking glass/crashes; emerge w/ paper knife in blood.
  • 49% recalled confederate from 50 pics (con 1).
  • 33% recalled confederate from 50 pics (con 2).
  • Weapon focus.
• 3. Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety

  Loftus + Burns (1982):

  • 1 of 2 conditions.
  • Non-violent film.
  • Violent film (boy shot head).
  • Less accurate recall (con 2).
  • Supports Johnson + Scott (1976).
• 4. Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety

  Yuielle + Cutshall (1986) - Anxiety (Positive Effect on Recall):

  • Stress = anxiety = fight/flight = increasing alertness = improve memory.
  • Interviewed 13 participants after IRL shooting (Canada).
  • Interviewed 4-5 months later, compared to original interview.
  • Little change in amount recalled/accuracy.
  • Less accurate = colours/age/height.
  • Highest amount stress, most accurate (88%).
• Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - Johnson + Scott (1976), not tested anxiety.

  E - focused on weapon bc surprised, not scared.

  E - Pickel (1998), scissors/gun/wallet/raw chicken; accuracy poorer in unusual con (gun/chicken).

  L - weapon focus due to unusualness of anxiety.
• Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - support for anxiety negative effect on recall accuracy.

  E - Valentine + Mesout (2009), used heart rate to divide participants into high/low groups.

  E - anxiety disrupted ability recall details.

  L - high anxiety negative effect on EW recall.
• Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - support for anxiety positive effect on accuracy recall.

  E - Christianson + Hubinette (1993), 58 participants to IRL bank robberies; assumed directly involved have anxiety.

  E - recall 75% accurate across all EWs.

  L - findings from actual crimes (w/ external validity) confirm anxiety not reduced to accuracy, may enhance it.
• Factors Affecting Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - Christianson + Hubinette (1993) interviewed them several months after.

  E - no control over what happened after to them in interviewing time (e.g. post-event discussion).

  E - effects of anxiety may’ve been overwhelmed by other factors.

  L - lack control = cofounding variables responsible for findings, invalidating results.