Eye witness testimony

• What is eyewitness testimony?

  An area of memory research that investigates the accuracy of memory following an accident, crime, or significant event.
• Why has eyewitness testimony come under scrutiny?

  Because studies have shown that eyewitness identification is wrong almost 50% of the time.
• What is the reason for the inaccuracy of eyewitness testimony?

  Witnesses are mistaken, not because they are lying.
• What is post-event discussion?

  Memory that can be altered through discussing events with others.
• How can misleading information affect eyewitness testimony?

  It can alter a witness's memory about a crime based on how questions are framed.
• What is the conformity effect in eyewitness testimony?


  When witnesses reach a consensus view of what happened after discussing the event.
• What is repeat interviewing?

  Each time a witness is interviewed, their memory may change due to the questions asked.
• What was the procedure of the Loftus and Palmer study on leading questions?

  Forty-five students were shown films of traffic accidents and then asked specific questions about them.
• What was the critical question in the Loftus and Palmer study?

  ‘About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?’
• Why was the critical question considered a leading question?

  It suggested the answer that a participant might give.
• What did the findings of the Loftus and Palmer study indicate about leading questions?

  The more severe the wording, the higher the estimated speed given by participants.
• What was the aim of the second experiment in the Loftus and Palmer study?

  To test if leading questions could alter memory before it is stored.
• What was the critical question in the second experiment of the Loftus and Palmer study?

  ‘Did you see any broken glass?’
• What did the findings of the second experiment in the Loftus and Palmer study suggest?

  Leading questions changed the actual memory a participant had for the event.
• What did Braun et al (2002) find regarding misleading information?

  Participants were more likely to report having shaken hands with characters they were misled about.
• What does the study by Yuille and Cutshall (1986) suggest about misleading information?


  Misleading information may have less influence in real-life situations.
• What did Wells and Olson (2003) find regarding eyewitness testimony and DNA testing?

  Eyewitness testimony was a significant factor in wrongful convictions.
• What is anxiety in the context of eyewitness testimony?

  An unpleasant emotional state often accompanied by increased heart rate and rapid breathing.
• How does anxiety affect performance on cognitive tasks?

  Anxiety can hinder performance on complicated cognitive tasks.
• What is the weapon focus effect?

  A phenomenon where a weapon distracts attention from other features, reducing identification accuracy.
• What was the procedure of Loftus and Palmer's study on the weapon focus effect?

  Participants heard an argument and then saw a man run through the room carrying either a pen or a knife.
• What did the findings of Loftus and Palmer's study on the weapon focus effect indicate?

  Mean accuracy was 49% in the pen condition and 33% in the knife condition.
• What did the researchers monitor in the Loftus and Palmer study regarding eyewitnesses' eye movements?

  The presence of a weapon caused attention to be drawn towards the weapon and away from other features.
• What is the conclusion regarding anxiety's effect on memory for negative emotional events?

  Memory for negative emotional events is better than for neutral events, especially for central details.
• What is the Yerkes-Dodson curve?

  A principle that suggests there is an optimal level of arousal for performance, with too much anxiety hindering recall.
• How does Christianson and Hubinette's study challenge Loftus and Palmer's findings?

  They found that people accurately remember events when they are anxious.
• What are the main problems identified with the standard police interview (SPI)?

  The SPI revolves around the interviewer, often includes leading questions, and does not allow witnesses to recall freely.
• What are the key components of the cognitive interview?

  • Mental reinstatement of original context
  • Report everything
  • Change order
  • Change perspective
• What did Konken et al (1999) find regarding the cognitive interview?

  They found an increase of 34% in the amount of correct information generated in cognitive interviews.
• What challenges do police officers face when using the cognitive interview?

  It requires more time than they can give, leading to missing parts of the interview.
• Why is it difficult to establish the effectiveness of the cognitive interview in real-world applications?

  Because police may miss parts of the structure due to time constraints.