APFCC+-+Loftus+and+Palmer

APFCC: Loftus and Palmer

 * Theorist ** : Loftus and Palmer
 * Study ** **of**: Reconstructive Memory
 * Year ** : 1974


 * Summary: **

To investigate how information provided to a witness after an event will influence their memory of that event. To show how leading questions could distort memories.
 * Aim: **

Two laboratory experiments. IV=verb used, DV= The estimate of speed. 45 participants, shown short video. “About how fast were the cars going when they each other. Smashed, collided, hit, contacted, bumped. The verb was changed. Experiment 2 They were then asked if there was any broken glass
 * Procedures: **

Experiment 1: When the verb smashed was used, the participants had a higher estimate for the speed of the car.
 * Findings: **

Experiment 2: A higher percentage of people reported glass when the verb smashed was used.

Experiment 1: Response Bias: the critical word biases the person’s response. Memory Is altered: The memory is actually altered, they saw the accident differently, and their perception of the accident has been changed.
 * Conclusions: **

Experiment 2: This wasn’t to do with Response Bias rather that the original question altered the memory of the events.

General Loftus and Palmer suggest that they are two kinds of information that go into memories: The person’s own perception and second the information supplied after the event. This forms the Reconstructive Hypothesis of memory. It is thus suggested that the memory had been reconstructed, however it could also have suffered from replacement or interference.

It wasn’t a real crash, the participants thus don’t have the same type of motivation to remember. Low ecological validity. In real life experiences there is an element of surprise – thus you might remember less, In this video people were looking for details. The participant group in the second experiment were students, do they have a full understanding of the speed of the car, and how to judge that. Not representational of the general public. Usefulness: providing information abut the reliability of eyewitness testimony (Police asking questions) The distortion also was of a relatively insignificant detail, whether or not there was glass. It has been harder to prove this kind of reconstructive memory with information of more central importance.
 * Criticisms: **

How easy is it to judge speed?

Perceptions of the driver?

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 * Resources: **