Eye Witness Testimony - Loftus & Palmer (1974) Car Crash Experiment - Cognitive Psychology

The video discusses the unreliability of eyewitness testimony, highlighting how memory can be distorted by leading questions and other subtle influences. It references the work of Elizabeth Loftus, who demonstrated through various studies that eyewitnesses can be easily misled. The video also presents real-world examples, such as a plane crash, to show how ordinary people can provide false testimony. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of understanding these memory fallibilities, especially in legal contexts.

What was the main reason Fred was released after 15 years?

• He confessed to the crime.

• New forensic evidence proved his innocence.

• The eyewitness changed their testimony.

• He escaped from prison.

What did Elizabeth Loftus's study with Palmer in 1974 demonstrate?

• Eyewitnesses are always accurate.

• Forensic evidence is less reliable than eyewitness testimony.

• Leading questions can alter eyewitness memory.

• Eyewitnesses remember details better over time.

In Loftus's study, how did the word 'smashed' affect participants' speed estimates?

• It had no effect on their estimates.

• It made them estimate a faster speed.

• It made them estimate a slower speed.

• It caused them to forget the event.

What subtle change in wording led to more false reports of a broken headlight?

• Changing 'see' to 'saw'.

• Changing 'broken' to 'damaged'.

• Changing 'a' to 'the'.

• Changing 'headlight' to 'taillight'.

What percentage of people falsely believed they saw the plane crash in the 1992 study?

• 95%

• 75%

• 55%

• 25%

What did the follow-up study reveal about people's memory of the plane crash?

• Most people accurately remembered the crash.

• The number of false memories decreased.

• People forgot about the crash entirely.

• The number of false memories increased.

What is a major takeaway about human memory from the video?

• Human memory is infallible.

• Forensic evidence is less reliable than memory.

• Eyewitness testimony is always reliable.

• Human memory is susceptible to suggestion and self-deception.