Factors Affecting Eye Witness Testimony: Anxiety

?
View mindmap
  • Factors Affecting Eye Witness Testimony: Anxiety
    • AO1
      • Violent crimes/ Shocking Events witnesses may experience high anxiety levels
        • Psychology arousal can prevent individuals from paying attention to important details
      • Weapon Focus Effect
        • Witnesses' attention drawn to weapon (anxiety source) rather than culprits' face
        • Decreases accuracy of EWT
    • AO3
      • Anxiety decreases EWT: Johnson and Scott
        • Ps led to believe they were taking part in a study
          • Whilst waiting outside heard an argument
            • 2 Conditions
              • High Anxiety: Heated argument + sound of broken glass, man walks out of room holding bloody plastic knife
              • Low Anxiety: Heated argument, man walks out of room holding pen with greasy hands
        • 1/3 identified man in high anxiety
        • 1/2 identified man in low anxiety
        • Methodology of the study can be criticised: lacks eco validity
          • Experiment conducted in lab, witness wouldn't experience same amount of anxiety as actual crime
      • Anxiety has positive effect on recall: Yuille and Cutshall
        • Real life shooting in Vancouver - owner shot thief dead, witnessed by 21 people
          • Interviews conducted 5 months after, compared with original
          • EWT similar before & after
          • Recall was accurate even after a long time and 2 misleading questions

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Psychology resources:

See all Psychology resources »See all Memory resources »