procedures

• Procedures - Experiment 1

  1. The participants were 45 students
  2. Each participant watched 7 films depicting a traffic accident. Lasted 5-30 seconds + were presented with different orders to each group
  3. Each participant was given a questionnaire
  4. The first item on the questionnaire was asking students to give an account of what they had seen
  5. The second part was a series of specific questions about the film
  6. The critical Q about the speed of the car
  7. All participants were asked the Q 'how fast were the cars going when they __ each other?'
  8. The blank was filled with one of following: hit, smashed, collided
• Procedures - Experiment 2

  1. Participants shown a film of multiple car crashes
  2. They were asked a set of Qs including critical speed Q
  3. Divided into 3 groups of 50
  4. G1 asked 'How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?' G2 asked 'How fast were the cars going when they hit into each other?'

  G3 weren't exposed to any Qs
• Procedures - Experiment 2 (2)

  5. A week later participants were asked to return to lab + asked further Qs:

  • Critical Q = 'did you see any broken glass?' - no broken glass but those who thought the car was travelling faster may have expected broken glass