How Elizabeth Loftus Changed the Meaning of Memory

Elizabeth Loftus (Psychologist Biography)

In 1974, Loftus and Palmer conducted a classic study demonstrating how the language used to ask questions can influence eyewitness memory. In the study, college students watched a film of an automobile accident and were then asked questions about what they saw. One group was asked, "About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?" Another group was asked the same question, except the verb was changed to "hit" instead of "smashed into." The "smashed into" group reported sign

IN 1974, Loftus and Palmer conducted a classic study demonstrat... | Filo

In 1974, Loftus and Palmer conducted a classic study demonstrating how the language used to ask a question can influence eyewitness memory. In the study, college students watched a film of an automobile accident and then were asked questions about what they saw. One group was asked, "About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?" Another group was asked the same question except the verb was changed to "hit" instead of "smashed into." The "smashed into" group reported sign

Eyewitness Testimony and Memory Biases