1. Monday 12th November 2012
Eye Witness Testimony
L/O: (EWT)of anxiety on the
To consider the impact
accuracy of EWT.
Starter
In pairs,
Verbally – recap Loftus and Palmer experiments.
Share and write down – two key evaluative points.

2. The exam specification states:
Memory in every day life
Eye Witness Testimony.
Factors affecting accuracy of EWT. Including:
1. Misleading information (Loftus and Palmer, 1974)
2. Anxiety
3. Age of witness

3. L/O: To consider the impact of anxiety on the
accuracy of EWT.
What is anxiety?
In what ways can it affect people’s lives? Yours? (if you do not mind
sharing).
Anxiety is:
• a normal feeling to experience occasionally.
• a sense of unease and worry.
• The body’s way of telling us something is not right.
Clinical anxiety / anxiety as a mental health ‘problem’ involves a
much more regular or constant presence of anxiety which can be
disproportionate to the situation.

4. L/O: To consider the impact of anxiety on the
accuracy of EWT.
Relation to EWT? Discuss.
Consider:
• What do people need to have seen/heard to be an
eyewitness?
• What do they need to do with that information?
Could this affect memory accuracy? How?

5. L/O: To consider the impact of anxiety on the
accuracy of EWT.
Anxiety and EWT
1. Threat to personal safety in ‘the event’.
2. Giving evidence is a pressured, serious
situation.
3. ‘Weapons-focus effect’ – what could this be
about?

6. L/O: To consider the impact of anxiety on the
accuracy of EWT.
The weapons-focus effect
• Many studies show that weapon presence can
increase anxiety.
Why? Why does it matter?
• Focuses perception in only certain aspects.
• Influences what the witness ‘sees’ or ‘does not’.
• Novelty?
= less reliable witness.

7. L/O: To consider the impact of anxiety on the
accuracy of EWT.
• What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law?
• Page 80.

8. L/O: To consider the impact of anxiety on the
accuracy of EWT.
Related research (AO2)
Laboratory experiment
Peters (1988)
Natural experiment
Yullie & Cutshall (1986)
Yerkes-Dodson Law

9. L/O: To consider the impact of anxiety on the
accuracy of EWT.
TASK
Plan an answer to the following question:
Explain how anxiety might affect eye-witness
testimony. Refer to Psychological research in
your answer. (6 marks)

10. Explain how anxiety might affect eye-witness
testimony. Refer to Psychological research in your
answer. (6 marks)
AO1.
Anxiety is… The nature of being an eye-witness means that…
Both being a witness and giving testimony after= anxiety inducing.
Link to memory perception, neglect and retrieval.
AO2.
1. Peters (1988) lab study, maybe mention ‘many studies’ have
found the weapons-focus effect.
2. Yullie and Cutshall (1986) natural experiment.
3. Yerkes Dodson Law.
AO1 = 3 marks AO2 = 3 marks

11. Explain how anxiety might affect eye-witness
testimony. Refer to Psychological research in your
answer. (6 marks)
People who are eye-witnesses are in anxiety-
provoking situations; at the time of the ‘event’
perception can be hindered by anxiety due to
shock or neglect and afterwards, when
recalling the details, eye-witnesses may
experience retrieval difficulties. 3 marks.

12. You need evaluation of the research in
order to get the full 12 marks here.