The Effects Of Language On The Accuracy Of Eyewitness...

Overview The study was conducted to show how altering certain words can influence to the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. The study consisted of two experiments. The first was done on 45 participants who were split into groups of varying sizes and they were shown seven films. In the first study, the independent variable was the verb used in the critical question. These were either, hit , bumped , smashed , contacted and collided . And the dependent variable was the speed estimation the participant gave. Loftus and Palmer found that the verb smashed lead to a higher estimated speed when compared to contacted . Their findings were significant at p 00.5 level. The second experiment was conducted to help the†¦show more content†¦They were shown 7 clips of car crashes, each group had them shown in a varying order. The clips lasted between 5 to 30 seconds. Following the viewing they each were given a questionnaire which asked them to begin with giving a recount of what they had just seen and then they were asked the critical question relating to the speed of the cars which was ‘About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?’. 9 participants were asked the question with ‘hit’ and then equal numbers were asked the same question but replacing hit with ‘contacted’, ‘smashed’, ‘collided’ and bumped’. The results show that language influences memory by replacing what the participants saw with secondary information that is integrated into their initial memory of the event. Therefore, the verbs alter the participant s perception of the speed of the cars. Those who were asked the critical question with the word ‘smashed’ had significantly higher speed estimations compared to those who had any of the other verbs. These results came about because if a participant is uncertain about the speed at which a car is traveling, for example, 30 or 40mph and they are presented w ith the word smashed it biases their response towards the higher value. The altered verb may make the scene seem more or less severe than it actually was. A weakness of this study is that it was a laboratory experiment meaning although it hadShow MoreRelatedCredability of Eyewitness Testimony Essay852 Words   |  4 PagesCredability of Eyewitness Testimony Is Eyewitness testimony reliable and accurate? Include case studies to back this up. EWT refers to evidence supplied by people who witness a specific event or crime, relying on their own memory. Statements often include descriptions given in a criminal trial and subsequent identification by individuals who were present at the crime scene. 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