2.1.16

Eyewitness Testimony - Post-Event Discussion

Test yourself

Gabbert et al (2004) - Staged Crime

Research aim: To investigate the effect of post-event information on accuracy of recall.

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Participants

  • Laboratory experiment.
  • 60 students from the University of Aberdeen and 60 local older adults were the participants.
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Procedure

  • Participants were allocated to one of two groups.
    • The control group individually watched a video of a girl stealing a wallet.
    • The experimental group (co-witness group) were put into pairs and watched the video individually. They were told it was the same video, but one half of the pair saw the scene from a different perspective and did not actually see the girl steal the wallet.
  • The co-witness group were then allowed to discuss what they had seen.
  • All participants then completed a questionnaire to test their memory of the event.
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Results & conclusions

  • Results:
    • 71% of the co-witnesses reported remembering information that they had not actually seen.
    • 60% said she was guilty despite not seeing her commit the crime.
  • Conclusion: Participants in the co-witness group were influenced by the post event information given to them by their partner.
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Evaluation

  • Strengths
    • Reliable – easy to replicate.
    • Practical applications – demonstrates unreliability of eyewitness testimony.
  • Limitations
    • Lacks ecological validity – the participants were aware it was not a real crime.
    • Demand characteristics.
    • Social desirability.

Jump to other topics

1Social Influence

2Memory

3Attachment

4Psychopathology

5Approaches in Psychology

6Biopsychology

7Research Methods

8Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

9Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

11Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

12Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

13Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

14Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

15Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

16Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

17Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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