Loftus and Palmer

Loftus and Palmer

1. Memory and eyewitness testimony. Factors that influence memory: Info DURING event (what you actually see/hear). Info AFTER event (questions you're asked/what people tell you). Schemas/expectations (general understanding of event).

2. EXPERIMENT ONE

   • AIM: to investigate whether leading questions influence or change peoples memory
   • 45 students. IV: verb used in critical question. DV: speed in mph. 5 conditions: Smashed, Bumped, Collided, Contacted, Hit.
   • Shown 7 clips for 5-30 secs. Given questionnaire after each clip asking to describe accident with the critical question hidden within.
   • Results (mph): Smashed:40.8 Collided:39.3 Bumped:28.1 Hit:34 Contacted:31.8
     • Conclusion: Not only are people poor judges of speed, they are also affected by the wording of a question.

3. EXPERIMENT TWO

   • 150 students split into 3 groups: 50 were asked the speed when they 'HIT' eachother, 50 were asked the speed when they 'SMASHED' eachother, 50 control group - not asked about speed.
     • Smashed: 10.46mph. Hit: 8mph
   • Shown a video clip of a multiple car accident.
   • AIM: to investigate whether the participants memory has really been distorted by the verbal label.
   • ONE WEEK LATER: Asked 'did you see any broken glass? yes/no'
     • YES: smashed 16, hit 7, control 6. NO: smashed 34, hit 7, control 6.