Anxiety and Eye Witness Testimony- Detailed Notes

Anxiety and EWT

Loftus and Burns (1982)

Pps were shown a violent version of a crime where a boy was shot in the face. Recall was impaired in the events running up to the gunshot. This experiment shows that the anxiety created from the violence impaired recall and therefore effects EWT.

Evaluation

- Lab experiment which means it was artificial and lacked ecological validty. 

- The video was particularly violent so the protection of participants ehtical guideline was broken. The video caused a lot of stress to some people.

+ As it is a lab experiment, it can be easily replicated and therefore is a reliable experiment. 

Loftus (1979)- Weapon Focus Phenomenon

50 pps wait outside a lab room. There are 2 conditions; one group hears an argument about equipment failure. A man comes out with grease on his hands. The other group hear an argument with screaming and someone comes out with a blooded knife. Then they are given 50 photos to identify the man. It was found those who…