Loftus and Palmer - Evaluation

Loftus and Palmer - Evaluation

1. Methodological Issues

   • Research Method
     • Controlled labatory
       • Theory, control, evidence and replication
   • Data
     • Quantative data
       • Easy to summarise and see trends
   • Ethics
     • Distracter questions to conceal hypothesis were necessary
     • No gruesome images - no upset ppts
   • Validity
     • High design validity
     • Knew it was a study - may have tried to affect results
   • Ecological Validity
     • Not as distressing as being a witness in real life
       • Accidents in real world happen spontaneously - no prior warning
   • Reliability
     • Labatory so highly replicable
       • Two experiments show same results
   • Sample
     • Only college students so generalisability is low
       • Upper level of family income/educational value
     • More willing to comply
   • Ethnocentrism
     • Reconstructive memory is a species specific process
     • Only reflect university students (middle class)

2. Debates/Perspectives

   • Psychology as a Science
     • Labatory so theory, control, evidence and replication are satisfied
   • Usefulness
     • Possible to distort the memories of eye witness testimonies
       • 121/150 answered correctly so can't exaggerate affect of leading questions
   • Ethics
     • Ethically worthy, as contributes to debate of accuracy of eye witness testimonies
   • Links to area
     • Studies specific area of cognitive processes of memory
       • Reconstructive nature of memory
     • Gives us empirical evidence of effects of information received after an event