NCJ Number
64833
Journal
Journal of Applied Psychology Volume: 63 Issue: 3 Dated: (JUNE 1978) Pages: 352-359
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THIS BRITISH STUDY TESTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ACCURACY OF RECALL DECREASES WITH INCREASING EMOTIONALITY OF THE WITNESSED EVENT.
Abstract
THE EXPERIMENT INVESTIGATED THE EFFECT ON EYEWITNESS ACCURACY OF TESTIMONY ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF WITNESSED EVENTS, THE SEX OF THE WITNESS, DIFFERENT MODES OF INITIAL QUESTIONING, AND THE PROBING FOR RECALL OF PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS AND PHYSICAL ACTIONS. ALSO INVESTIGATED WERE THE RELATIONSHIP OF PERSONALITY TO ACCURACY AND THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF SUBJECTS TO LEADING QUESTIONS. A TOTAL OF 24 MALE AND 24 FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE VOLUNTEERS TOOK PART IN THE STUDY. THEY WERE SHOWN TWO VIDEOTAPES--ONE OF A VIOLENT INCIDENT AND ONE OF A NONVIOLENT BUT SIMILAR INCIDENT. A FOUR-WAY SPLIT-PLOT DESIGN WAS USED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT ON EYEWITNESS ACCURACY OF THE NATURE OF THE WITNESSED INCIDENT (VIOLENT, NONVIOLENT), MODE OF INITIAL QUESTIONING (NARRATIVE, INTERROGATIVE), SEX OF WITNESS, AND TYPE OF INFORMATION PROBED (ACTIONS, DESCRIPTIONS). LEADING QUESTIONS, PERSONALITY, ACCURACY, AND CONFIDENCE RATINGS WERE ALSO EXAMINED. ACCURACY WAS POORER UNDER VIOLENT CONDITIONS. ACTIONS WERE BETTER RECALLED THAN DESCRIPTIONS. ALTHOUGH THE TYPE OF INITIAL QUESTIONING HAD NO EFFECT ON LATER ACCURACY, SUBJECTS WERE MISLED BY LEADING QUESTIONS. NO RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN EITHER PERSONALITY AND ACCURACY OR CONFIDENCE IN CORRECTNESS AND OBJECTIVE ACCURACY. THE CENTRAL FINDING WAS THAT RECALL OF DETAILS FROM A VIOLENT INCIDENT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE THAN RECALL OF A NONVIOLENT INCIDENT. THIS SUGGESTS THAT TESTIMONY ABOUT AN EMOTIONALLY LOADED INCIDENT SHOULD BE TREATED WITH MUCH GREATER CAUTION THAN ONE CONCERNING A LESS EMOTIONALLY TONED INCIDENT. REFERENCE NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE CITED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED-MJW)