Summary sheet for core study describing the basics for the study as well as ethical consideration and evaluations of validity and reliability within the study.
Background : Method: Validity:
-Schemas = memory is influenced on what a person Laboratory experiment. -Lack ecological validity, as videos were used to view car crash, so it is not a
already knows. (experience/ expectation). Independent measures. real-life situation and ppts may recall estimations of speed differently if it
-Memory can be disto0rted or biased by certain Snapshot study. happened in front of them.
features of the situation. IV= critical verb (smashed, +High in ecological validity as videos shown were of real-life car crashes.
-Memory can be distorted so eyewitness testimony hit, collided, contacted, -Lacks ecological validity, as it was a lab experiment.
is highly unreliable. bumped). -Lacks population validity, as sample does not represent the target
DV= estimated speed. population.
Sample: +Concurrent validity as critical verb was proven to distro memory in
45 students from the USA, dividing into 5 group of Laboratory experiment. experiment 1 and 2.
critical verbs. Independent measures. Reliability:
150 students from the USA, dividing into 3 groups of Longitudinal study. +High in external reliability as study can easily be replicated outside the
smashed, hit, and no question. IV= critical verb of either study due to high levels of control.
smashed or hit or no asked +High in internal reliability as there was high levels of control within the
Procedure: on speed. experiments as all ppts watched same video clips for the same length of
Shown several films of car accidents made from DV= answered yes or no. time.
driver safety film.
Then given questionnaire with the question, “How Loftus & Palmer Ethics:
fast were the cars going when they ____?” and used -Loftus deceived ppt as she told them that it was a memory task and
the critical verb for their condition. did not mention about distortion of memory, however this was
justified in the use of the study.
Shown 1 minute film with 4 second multiple long car
crash. -Could have caused psychological harm as ppts didn’t realise that their
Then given questionnaire and asked same question memory may have been distorted.
but either using smashed, hit or there was no
question about speed. -Could also have given psychological harm as ppts were shown videos
One week later without rewatching film, ppts did of real-life car crashes and this may have been emotionally upsetting to
another questionnaire asking about broken glass. some people personally.
Findings: Conclusion: -Ppts did not fully give informed consent as Loftus did not tell them the
-Smashed = 40.5 mph -Verb used in a question can influence a full aim of the study of leading questions that can distort memory.
-Hit = 34 mph person’s response in the way it is
Smashed produced fasted speed and contacted phrased.
slowest.
-Misleading post event information can
More ppt in smashed condition reported seeing distort and individuals’ memory.
broken glass than in hit condition.
Majority of ppts correctly recalled, in both -People are not good at judging vehicular
conditions, that there was no broken glass. speed.
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