1. Presentation by Jordan Cline, Sarah Swift, and Anita Bainbridge
Eyewitness Testimony
Presentation by Jordan Cline, Sarah Swift, and Anita Bainbridge

2. What is it? A subfield of a legal psychology
A visual account of an event that took place.

3. The Theory
Whether or not eyewitness testimony is full reliable.

4. The hypothesis
“Eyewitness testimony is not fully reliable.”

5. Research Design Consists of Two Lab Experiments Number One Number Two
45 students shown a series of seven film clips of car accidents
She then asked them to write a report on what they saw and answer the question ‘At what speed was the car travelling’?
IV- Films/ DV- Reports written
Number Two
150 students watched a video clip of a multi-car pile up
Students were divided into 3 groups and asked different versions of the same questions
IV- Films or Questions/ DV- Student Answers

6. The Procedure
Two studies were done: One on forty five students split into five categories, and the second one was done with one hundred and fifty students.
In the first study the students were shown seven film clips of a car accident. The students were asked to write a report and then were asked questions on what they’d seen. Students were asked the same question but with a different verb.
In the second study the students watched a one minute video clip which had a four second scene of a car pile-up. The students were then asked two questions, and each of the three groups was asked in a certain way.

7. The Results of Study One
The more intense the verb, the higher the estimate of speed.
Smashed: miles per hour.
Collided: 39.3 miles per hour.
Bumped: 38.1 miles per hour.
Hit: 34 miles per hour.
Contacted: miles per hour.

8. The Results of Study Two
The intensity of the verb affected the students opinion on whether there was any broken glass in the scene.
Smashed: 16 students claimed there was broken glass whereas 34 students said there was none.
Hit: 7 students said there was glass present but 43 claimed there was none.
No question: 6 students claimed seeing broken glass 44 said there was none.

9. Ethical Issues One of the more ethically sound psychology experiments.
As long as all participants gave their consent to take part in this experiment, there are no real ethical issues.

10. Ecological Validity
Yes, because it is still used today.

11. Evaluation: Strengths & Weaknesses
Response bias might have occurred
Strengths:
The amount of people and groups they had in each experiment
The choice of questions and verbs used
Research design

12. Could the study be carried out today? Why? Why Not?
Yes, this study could easily be carried out today.
Was a lab experiment so easily re-created
Simple enough to do.
May be able to improve on things that were lacking.

13. Why is this a classic study?
Visual accounts are always reliable
Your memory is instant (lineup)

14. Eyewitness Video
Video: