johnson and scott 1976

• participants overheard either a normal conversation about equipment failure or an argument where glass was breaking and furniture was knocked over
• in the normal conversation


  a man walked out the room holding a pen covered in grease
• in the argument


  a man walked out holding a knife covered in blood
• the participants were asked to recall what they saw, but not told that there had been two different conversations
• participants that saw the man holding the knife were more anxious therefore were less likely to identify the suspect
• the pen had 49% of recognisability
• the knife had only 33% accuracy in recognisability
• supports the idea that high anxiety has a negative effect on memory