Lesson 6.3.1

6.3.1 Loftus and Palmer, Bradbury and Williams, Valentine and Mesout, and Howells studies Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 6

20 questions

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Lesson 6.3.1, Loftus and Palmer, Bradbury and Williams, Valentine and Mesout, and Howells studies: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 6: Criminological psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What was the main aim of Loftus and Palmer (1974) in Reconstruction of automobile destruction?

    • To prove that eyewitnesses cannot recall any details at all
    • To show that car crashes always cause serious injuries
    • To test whether children remember traffic rules better than adults
    • To show how the wording of a question can change a witness's memory of an event

  2. In Loftus and Palmer's first experiment, participants watched films of car accidents. What was manipulated?

    • The verb used in the question about how fast the cars were going
    • The weather shown in the film
    • The number of passengers in each car
    • The colour of the cars in each film

  3. What did Loftus and Palmer find about the verb 'smashed' compared with 'contacted'?

    • Participants estimated higher speeds with 'contacted'
    • Verb choice had no effect on speed estimates
    • Participants estimated higher speeds when the question used 'smashed'
    • Participants refused to estimate any speed

  4. In Loftus and Palmer's second experiment, what did the 'broken glass' question test a week later?

    • Whether the verb used earlier produced false memories of broken glass that was never shown
    • Whether participants could recall the weather
    • Whether participants could identify the car make
    • Whether participants remembered the film's soundtrack

  5. Which conclusion did Loftus and Palmer draw from their findings?

    • Speed estimates are always accurate if the question is neutral
    • Language used after an event can reconstruct and distort the witness's memory
    • Witnesses should never be questioned after an event
    • Memory is a perfect recording that never changes

  6. Why is Loftus and Palmer's study described as a laboratory experiment?

    • It was a case study of one witness over many years
    • It took place in a real police station with real witnesses
    • It used random allocation and controlled conditions to manipulate one variable
    • It was a survey of attitudes towards crime

  7. Which evaluation of Loftus and Palmer's study is strongest?

    • The study proves that all eyewitnesses are unreliable in every case
    • The study has perfect ecological validity because it used films
    • The study has no internal validity because it used students
    • The study has high internal validity but its artificial films may limit ecological validity

  8. Why is the Loftus and Palmer study often used to illustrate reconstructive memory?

    • It shows that films always produce accurate memories
    • It shows that memory is never affected by language
    • It shows that a witness's memory can be changed by information given after the event
    • It shows that only adults remember car crashes

  9. A witness is asked 'How fast were the cars going when they smashed?' and later reports broken glass that was never shown. What process explains this?

    • Perfect storage of the event in long-term memory
    • Random guessing that has no effect on memory
    • Accurate recall of a real detail from the film
    • Misleading post-event information altering the memory

  10. Bradbury and Williams (2013) examined race effects in juror decision-making. Which broad area of research does this study belong to?

    • Research on how juror characteristics and defendant race can affect judgements of guilt
    • Research on the physiology of sleep
    • Research on infant attachment to caregivers
    • Research on childhood obesity and diet

  11. Which methodological feature would be most important to evaluate in Bradbury and Williams' study of juror race effects?

    • Whether participants were given a sticker afterwards
    • Whether the study was published in a newspaper first
    • Whether the researchers used a wooden desk in the study
    • Whether the sample and mock-jury setting represent real jurors and real trials

  12. What is the main strength of Valentine and Mesout's field study?

    • High ecological validity because stress was experienced in a realistic setting
    • Complete control of every variable in the attraction
    • Freedom from any ethical concerns
    • Guaranteed generalisability to all eyewitnesses

  13. Which ethical issue is most relevant to a field study such as Valentine and Mesout's?

    • Participants may experience distress or be unaware they are taking part, so consent and debriefing matter
    • Participants never experience any stress at all
    • No ethical issues arise in any field setting
    • Participants are always paid too much money

  14. Howells et al. (2005) evaluated brief anger management programmes with offenders. What was the main focus of this study?

    • The structure of infant attachment in the Strange Situation
    • The outcomes of brief programmes and the predictors of change in offenders
    • The genetic basis of aggression in twins
    • The effect of diet on memory in laboratory rats

  15. Why is evaluating the predictors of change important in Howells et al.'s study?

    • It proves that anger is always a biological problem
    • It shows that every offender benefits equally from any programme
    • It identifies which offenders are most likely to benefit, which can guide targeted treatment
    • It removes the need for any follow-up measures

  16. A brief anger management programme shows reduced reoffending at follow-up. What is the main limitation of concluding that the programme caused the reduction?

    • The programme must have been delivered by a computer
    • Follow-up measures are never valid in criminology
    • Other factors, such as time served or support received, may explain the change
    • Reoffending can never be measured accurately

  17. Which contemporary study in criminological psychology is a field study on eyewitness identification under stress?

    • Bowlby (1944)
    • Valentine and Mesout (2009)
    • Loftus and Palmer (1974)
    • Rosenhan (1973)

  18. What is a limitation of the mock-jury approach used in studies such as Bradbury and Williams'?

    • Mock juries cannot be given any written material
    • Participants know they are in a study and do not face real consequences
    • Mock juries are always representative of the population
    • Mock juries always contain professional judges

  19. Which evaluation of Loftus and Palmer's use of student participants is most appropriate?

    • Students make the study more representative of all ages
    • Students are always more accurate witnesses than anyone else
    • Students cannot give evidence in any setting
    • Students may not represent all eyewitnesses, which limits generalisation of the findings

  20. Why is it important that Loftus and Palmer used a film of an event rather than a real crime?

    • It allowed the researchers to control the event so that every witness saw the same thing
    • It meant participants had to act out the crime
    • It made the event more dangerous for participants
    • It removed the need for any measure of memory

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