1. starter
Create a mind map with EWT placed in the middle, I would like you to write down all the things you have learned this lesson about EWT
What I would also like you to do…
Write down in the corner anything you aren’t sure about!

2. Lesson 4: ewt continued

3. We have looked at EWT
A main criticism of the research into EWT is its use of artificial scenarios
What does an artificial scenario lack that a real scenario which requires an EWT have?
Emotional involvement for the witness
Situations where EWT are required have a high anxiety content which can greatly affect recall

4. Lesson aims
Be able to outline the influence of anxiety on EWT with reference to experimental studies

5. What is anxiety?
Feelings of fear or dread Perspiration, trembling, restlessness, or muscle tension Rapid heart rate, light- headedness, shortness of breath

6. rate these pictures in order of anxiety
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Low anxiety High anxiety
Using the photographs provided, place in order the photos in terms of anxiety levels
Why did you rate these in the order you did?
If situations where weapons are present induce anxiety, how do you think this influences an eyewitnesses memory?

7. Anxiety negatively affects EWT
Loftus et al. (1987)
Anxiety negatively affects EWT
Participants were shown a series of photographs of a customer in a restaurant
In one version, the customer was holding a gun
In the other version, the customer was holding a check book
Participants who saw the gun focused on the gun
This is called “weapon focus”
When a weapon is involved it is more likely to grab attention than any other factor
This means they have a poor memory recall of the perpetrator, more so than the individuals who saw the version holding the check book
This supports the premise that anxiety can divert attention away from important features

8. Anxiety negatively affects EWT
Supporting evidence:
Koehler et al. 2002
Participants are less able to recall stressful words than non-stressful words
Repression Freud (1894)
Anxiety hinders the recall of memories
Forgetting is motivated by the traumatic content of the memory
In order to protect oneself, the memories are repressed to avoid the emotional stress they may cause
Research evidence for is heavily criticised
Some even argue whether the concept of repression actually exists
Anxiety negatively affects EWT

9. Yerkes-Dodson inverted-u hypothesis (iuh)
Investigations have been conducted, however it is difficult to reach any form of a conclusion
Yerkes-Dodson inverted-u hypothesis (iuh)
According to the IUH
Low levels of anxiety allow for poor detail and accuracy in the recall of information
why do we think this is?
Filling in the blanks through schemas!
Moderate levels of anxiety improve the detail and accuracy of he memory recall to an optimum point
After this optimum, the higher the anxiety level increases the detail and accuracy of recall declines

10. Christianson & Hubinette (1993)
Studied the recall of witnesses in real bank robberies
Found increased arousal lead to improvements in the accuracy of recalls
Suggesting anxiety-creating situations don’t always divert attention from important features of a situation
Research
What is a strength of these studies??
Peters 1988
Utilised participants who were attending local health centre for an injection
Participants met with nurse on several occasions over equal periods of time
Each time the nurse gave them injection
During their visit they spent equal lengths of time with the researcher
After this at a later date, the participants found it easier to recognise the researcher from photographs than the nurse
This suggests heightened anxiety levels due to injection decreases memory accuracy
Anxiety positively affects EWT
Anxiety negatively affects EWT

11. Let’s evaluate! Go to page 91 (2.5) in the Black Mask text book
Make appropriate notes on the evaluation for anxiety as influencing EWT

12. Prep… Read pages 92-97 in the black mask
Answer the following questions:
What is cognitive interview?
Name and describe the four components of the cognitive interview
What is the difference between CI. ECI and MCI
What does Memon et al suggest about the effectiveness of all types of cognitive interview?