1. ANXIETY!!

3. Anxiety
There is evidence to suggest that anxiety can
affect the accuracy of eyewitness
testimony...
On one hand lab studies have shown impaired
(weak) recall in people who have witnessed
anxiety-inducing situations
On the other hand research into real-life
incidents involving high stress levels show
that EWT can be detailed and long-lasting

4. Deffenbacher 1983
Very Good
EWT
Very Poor
Low Anxiety High

5. Anxiety is sometimes good for EWT.
•Too much anxiety means the
individual can’t focus on detail
•Too little anxiety and the individual
isn’t concentrating enough to absorb
any detail

6. Weapons-Focus Effect
Loftus 1979 – aimed to investigate the effect
of anxiety on the accuracy of EWT.
Procedure:
In a laboratory experiment, Loftus asked
participants to wait outside a room before the
study began.
In condition 1 participants heard an amicable
discussion and a man emerged with greasy
hands holding a pen
In condition 2 participants heard a heated
discussion and a man emerged holding a knife
covered in blood
Participants were then asked to identify the man
from 50 photographs

7. Weapons-Focus Effect
Results:
Participants who has witnessed the peaceful
scene (C1) were more accurate in recognising
the man than the participants who had
witnessed the more violent scene (C2)
Conclusion:
The weapon caused anxiety which narrowed the
focus of attention – taking attention away from
the face of the man (making him harder to
identify)
Knife = central detail
Face = peripheral detail

8. Weapons-Focus Effect
Evaluation:
Can you think of any?
Laboratory experiment, so.......
High control over variables
Replication
High demand characteristics
Low ecological validity

9. Weapons-Focus Effect
Weapons-focus effect research has been
supported by other research
1. Loftus (again!)
2. Deffenbacher
However, there is research to contradict
the findings of Loftus
1. Christianson & Hubinette

10. WFE evaluation
High
control For example, the lighting &
noise levels could be
controlled
This means that all
potential Strength because
extraneous it gives the
research high
variables could be internal validity
controlled

11. WFE evaluation
Deffenbacher
et al (1983) Conducted meta-analysis and
found that higher levels of
anxiety decrease EWT
accuracy
This shows that
eyewitness Supporting the
testimony is findings of Loftus
impaired if the 1979 research
into the weapons-
person becomes
focus effect
too anxious

12. WFE evaluation
Christianson Found that of 58 witnesses
& Hubinette to bank robberies who had
been threatened in some way
had more accurate recall
than onlookers
This shows that in
real life situations
Criticising Loftus’
of EWT high levels WFE research as it
of anxiety can demonstrates that
actually improve anxiety does not
the accuracy of always decrease
recall accuracy
recall