Loftus has found that when an event is recalled, it isn’t accurately re-created. The memory is actually a reconstruction of the actual event. Your brain is using new and existing information to fill the gaps in your memory. She states that memories can change over time. Going off of what we know about memory, this study focuses on the wording of questions asked of eyewitnesses could alter their memories of events when they were asked other questions about the events at a later time.
In experiment one 150 students were shown a short video of a car accident and then asked to answer a questionnaire. Half the group was asked “ How fast was Car A going when it ran the stop sign?” The rest of the subjects were asked “How fast was Car A going when it turned right?” 53% of the group that was asked about the stop sign said they saw a stop sign for Car A but only 35% of the other group said they saw the stop sign. …show more content…
Half the group got the question “Was the leader of the four demonstrators who entered the classroom male?” The other group was asked, “Was the leader of the 12 demonstrators who entered the classroom a male?” A week later the group that had the question presupposing 12 demonstrators reported seeing an average of 8.85 demonstrators. The group that had the question presupposing 4 demonstrators reported seeing an average 6.40 demonstrators. This experiment proved that the wording of a question alters the way a subject remembers an
In experiment one 150 students were shown a short video of a car accident and then asked to answer a questionnaire. Half the group was asked “ How fast was Car A going when it ran the stop sign?” The rest of the subjects were asked “How fast was Car A going when it turned right?” 53% of the group that was asked about the stop sign said they saw a stop sign for Car A but only 35% of the other group said they saw the stop sign. …show more content…
Half the group got the question “Was the leader of the four demonstrators who entered the classroom male?” The other group was asked, “Was the leader of the 12 demonstrators who entered the classroom a male?” A week later the group that had the question presupposing 12 demonstrators reported seeing an average of 8.85 demonstrators. The group that had the question presupposing 4 demonstrators reported seeing an average 6.40 demonstrators. This experiment proved that the wording of a question alters the way a subject remembers an