Loftus and Palmer - Essay
With reference to alternative research findings, critically assess Loftus and Palmer’s research into Leading questions.
Loftus and Palmer concluded (1974) concluded from their experiments that leading questions can alter the representation in your memory.
Before the Loftus and Palmer undertook their studies into the effects of leading questions on memory recollection, Carmichael (1932) researched the effect of different labels on the reproduction of identical figures. They showed two sets of participants the same images but with different labels and then asked the participants to reproduce the images from memory. They found that the different groups produced very different images depending on what label they had. This showed clearly how memory recollection was effected and distorted by literary prompting. This correlated very closely with the work of Loftus and Palmer who also used words to stimulate recollection of particular events. Therefore both demonstrate how the use of words can actually alter recalled memory.
The work of Wright, Loftus and Hall (2001) also looked into memory alteration with post event information. Rather than adding new information they decided to show participants restaurant images from which critical scenes had been omitted. When the participants were asked to recall the events described in the restaurant images, they frequently failed to remember the original information. This reinforced the findings of Loftus and Palmer when they asked participants whether glass was present at the scene of the car accident. Participants were fed post event information (the different verbs) which changed their perception of the original accident. These two studies seem to support the theory that the human memory is composed of two sources of information. Firstly, the perception of the original event and secondly external information subsequently received. Over time, these two sources of information become merged and cannot be distinguished.
Loftus and Palmer concluded (1974) concluded from their experiments that leading questions can alter the representation in your memory.
Before the Loftus and Palmer undertook their studies into the effects of leading questions on memory recollection, Carmichael (1932) researched the effect of different labels on the reproduction of identical figures. They showed two sets of participants the same images but with different labels and then asked the participants to reproduce the images from memory. They found that the different groups produced very different images depending on what label they had. This showed clearly how memory recollection was effected and distorted by literary prompting. This correlated very closely with the work of Loftus and Palmer who also used words to stimulate recollection of particular events. Therefore both demonstrate how the use of words can actually alter recalled memory.
The work of Wright, Loftus and Hall (2001) also looked into memory alteration with post event information. Rather than adding new information they decided to show participants restaurant images from which critical scenes had been omitted. When the participants were asked to recall the events described in the restaurant images, they frequently failed to remember the original information. This reinforced the findings of Loftus and Palmer when they asked participants whether glass was present at the scene of the car accident. Participants were fed post event information (the different verbs) which changed their perception of the original accident. These two studies seem to support the theory that the human memory is composed of two sources of information. Firstly, the perception of the original event and secondly external information subsequently received. Over time, these two sources of information become merged and cannot be distinguished.