Flashcards
Memory- misleading information
Cards in this deck (16)
- 1What is misleading information?Incorrect information given to the eyewitness usually after the event which can unintentionally distort the memory of the original crime.
- 2What was the aim of Loftus' first experiment?To investigate whether post-event information (in the form of leading questions) would result in eyewitness testimony being inaccurate
- 3What was the procedure of Loftus' first experiment?45 participants took part in a lab experiment that investigated the effects of leading questions for memory of a car accident. They were shown a film of a car accident and were then put into one of 5 conditions. In each one they were asked the question 'About how fast were the cars going when they smashed/collided/bumped/hit/contacted each other', with each group having a different verb
- 4What were the results of Loftus' first experiment?Participants who had the more violent verb 'smashed' estimated the speed at 41mph, whereas the more calm verb 'contacted' provoked estimations of 32mph. Participants given the medium verb, 'bumped' estimated the speed at 38mph.
- 5What was the conclusion for Loftus' first studyBeing exposed to misleading questions after an event has occurred can distort the witness memory for that event
- 6What was the aim for Loftus' second study?To investigate further whether post event information (in the form of leading questions) would result in eyewitness testimony being inaccurate
- 7What was the procedure of Loftus' 2nd study?150 students were divided into 3 even groups, where they all watched a one minute video of a car accident and were given a questionnaire to complete. One group was asked 'how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other', another group was asked the same question with the verb changed to hit. The final group weren't asked about the speed of the vehicles. A week later the participants returned and were asked questions on the video, with one of them being 'did you see any broken glass?'. This question was critical as there was no broken glass
- 8What were the results of Loftus' second experiment?32% of the participants who were previously questioned with the verb 'smashed' reported seeing broken glass, 14% of the participants who were previously questioned using the verb hit reported seeing broken glass, and 12% of the control group reported seeing broken glass
- 9What was the conclusion of Loftus' second study?The ptps who were questioned with earlier leading questions were more likely to report broken glass. The verb smashed has connotations of faster speeds and broken glass and this led to ptps reporting something that was not actually present. Their memory for the original event was distorted by the leading question
- 10What is post event discussion?This occurs when there is more than one witness to an event. Witnesses may discuss what they have seen with other co-witnesses which often lowers the accuracy of recall as they combine info from others with their own memory
- 11What was the aim of Gabbert?To investigate the effects of post event discussion on accuracy of eyewitness testimony
- 12What was the procedure of Gabbert?They investigated memory conformity effects between pairs of participants who viewed a simulated crime event on video. ptps were told they were seeing the same footage, however the videos were filmed from different angles, giving them two different perspectives. This meant that some participants saw details that others didn't e.g, the title of the book held by the woman. Ptps in experimental condition were given time to discuss and then take part in a test whereas the other group went straight to the recall test
- 13What were the results of Gabbert?715 of participants in the experimental group, who were given time to discuss, recalled information they hadn't seen. 0% of participants in the control group recalled information they hadn't seen as they weren't given time to discuss
- 14What was the conclusion of Gabbert?Witnesses often go along with each other, either to win social approval or because they believe the other eye witness to be right and they are wrong, This is known as memory conformity
- 15What are the strengths of misleading information?The research is high in reliability. The research uses lab experiments and therefore has standardized procedures e.g. gabbert et al (explain). This makes results replicable
Another strength is that it has practical applications. This is because it has been used to warn the justice system of problems relying on EWT e.g development of cognitive interview, This means research can be praised since it has been used to improve the justice system - 16What are the weaknesses of misleading information?Lab experiments are low in ecological validity. This is because the situation of watching a video clip of a crime is artificial e.g. in real life you're more likely to notice details like number plates
Also, there are contradictory findings from real life evidence. Yuille and Cutshall asked witnesses to a real life armed robbery recall details of the crime 4 months after the event, however researchers included 2 misleading questions. All witnesses were accurate. This means leading questions may have less influence on real life ptps than ptps in an artificial environment
Information
- Description
- GCSE Psychology Flashcards on Memory- misleading information, created by Emily Mawson on 24/01/2020.
- Created by
- Emily Mawson
- Views
- 0
- Rating