Learn: Loftus and Palmer (1974) - Memory

Welcome!Today, we'll explore the famous Loftus and Palmer (1974) study on memory and eyewitness testimony. This study looks at how leading questions can affect what people remember about an event. Let's dive in!

What is memory?Memory refers to how we encode, store, and retrieve information. It helps us make sense of the world by remembering past events, knowledge, and experiences. However, memory isn't perfect—it can be influenced by external factors, such as the way questions are asked.

Loftus and Palmer (1974)This study investigated how the wording of a question affects participants' memory of a car crash. Specifically, they tested whether using different verbs (e.g., 'smashed' versus 'hit') in a question would change people's perception of the event's speed and severity.

Leading questionsA leading question is a question that suggests a particular answer. For example, asking 'Did you see the broken glass?' implies there was broken glass, even if there wasn't. This can influence someone's memory of the event.

The experimentParticipants watched videos of car crashes and were then asked questions about what they had seen. The critical question included a verb like 'smashed', 'hit', or 'contacted' to describe the cars' collision.

FindingsLoftus and Palmer found that participants who heard stronger verbs like 'smashed' estimated higher speeds than those who heard weaker verbs like 'contacted'. This suggests that memory can be altered by the way questions are phrased.

Review Time!Great work! You've learned about memory and how Loftus and Palmer showed that leading questions can influence it. Let's test your understanding one more time!