1. The Effect of Leading Questions and Time Elapsed on Eyewitness Accuracy in Identifying a Perpetrator in a Crime David Browne, Elizabeth Foster, Elizabeth Jeong, Christine Oppel

2. Introduction Eyewitness testimony allows jurors to feel and see a clear picture of a crime that has been committed.  Kebbell & Giles  Ebbinghaus  Nigro & Cicogna

3. Introduction  Independent Variable One 1. Leading Questions 2. Non-leading Questions  Independent Variable Two 1. Short Distraction 2. Long Distraction  Dependent Variable: Accuracy on the Questionnaire

4. Hypothesis The accuracy of participants’ answers on the questionnaire will be lower when asked leading questions and with a longer distracting clip.

5. Method Participants 56 Female Mount Holyoke Students, ages 18-60, randomly assigned 14 in Leading/Long Condition 15 in Leading/Short Condition 13 in Non/Long Condition 14 in Non/Short Condition Materials  Clip of L.A. Confidential  Clip of HGTV  TV and VCR  Questionnaires and Answer Key  Consent Form  Debriefing Form

6. Method (cont.) Procedure  Participants signed consent form  Watched L.A. Confidential clip  Short or long HGTV clip was shown immediately after  Participants given Leading or Non-leading questionnaires  Participants were debriefed

7. Results  Dependent Variable: Number of correct answers  Analysis Performed: One-way 2X2 ANOVA

8. Results Marginally significant main effect for question type such that participants who filled out non leading questionnaires a had marginally higher accuracy than participants who filled out leading questionnaires (p =.075). No significant main effect for length of distraction. No significant interaction between type of questionnaire and length of distractions.

9. Results (cont)

10. Discussion Hypothesis not supported. The question type was marginally significant, but not at the p<.05 level Disagrees with Kebbell & Giles and Ebbinghaus Agrees with Nigro & Cicogna

11. Discussion (Implications) Lawyers should not use leading questions because it may influence the accuracy of witnesses’ responses