Final project: sampling - Essay Example

Suggestibility in Eyewitness Misinformation a. Eyewitness testimony and the misinformation effect. i. What are the factors that affect Suggestibility in Eyewitness Testimony Misinformation?ii. This study is extremely important because it is necessary to know the factors that affect the suggestibility of an individual with regard to the eyewitness account. Eyewitness accounts in courts are a matter of remaking a crime scene and this means that the eyewitness account is important in determining how the scales of justice will be tipped.

In this regard if a person with high levels of suggestibility is used as an eyewitness, he or she is likely to give false information that can lead to a wrongful sentencing of an innocent person, or a wrongful acquittal of a criminal.iii. The hypothesis of this paper is that age is a determinant that affects the level of suggestibility of an individual, especially with regard to eyewitness account misinformation. b. literature review Bruck and Ceci (1999) carried out a study to identify how age affects the suggestibility of a person’s memory.

They argue that age, especially with regard to young children is a major factor that affects the level of suggestibility. Gobboa, Megaa and Pipeb (2002) found out that the nature of experience also affects the levels of suggestibility, especially with regard to children. These children are more likely to be affected by suggestibility and lack of source monitoring can lead to false information. Loftus and Palmer (1974) identified that suggestibility of an eyewitness can be increased by the way the questions are arranged.

According to Poolea and Lindsay (2002), it is easier for children to be affected by suggestibility if this is coming from the parents as opposed to strangers. This indicates that the source of suggestions and guiding is also a factor to determine how it is going to affect the memory of an individual. Mitchell, Johnson and Mather (2003) looked at some of the factors that indicated how age may affect the level of suggestibility. They argue that older adults are more likely to be affected by suggestibility than are young adults.

At the same time, the older adults are said to be less likely to be confident about their source information. ReferencesBruck, M. & Ceci, S.J. (1999). The Suggestibility Of Childrens Memory. Annu. Rev. Psychology, 50 : 419-439.Gobboa, C., Megaa, C., & Pipeb, M.E. (2002). Does the Nature of the Experience Influence Suggestibility? A Study of Childrens Event Memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 81, 4: 502–530.Loftus, E.F. & Palmer, J.C. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction: An example of the interaction between language and memory, 13,.

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 585–589.Mitchell, K.J., Johnson, M.K. & Mather, M. (2003). Source Monitoring and Suggestibility to Misinformation: Adult Age-Related Differences. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 17: 107–119.Poolea, D.A. & Lindsay, D.S. (2002). Reducing Child Witnesses False Reports of Misinformation from Parents. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 81, 2: 117– 140.3. Sampling a. The sampling method that will be used will be probabilistic sampling. In particular, the stratified sampling will be used in order to look at each subgroup such as older people, youth, children, males, females etc.b. Based on the sampling method that will be used, the sample can be said to represent the larger population. c. The inclusion/exclusion criteria to be used will be that the participants must not have any significant mental disorder.d. Ethical issues to be considered when gathering data will be privacy issues.

It will also be necessary to protect the participants so that they do not end up feeling bad about themselves.4. References Bruck, M. &. (1999). THE SUGGESTIBILITY OF CHILDRENS MEMORY. Annu. Rev. Psychology, 50: 419-439.Gobboa, C. M. (2002). Does the Nature of the Experience Influence Suggestibility? A Study of Childrens Event Memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 81, 4: 502–530 Loftus, E. &. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction: An example of the interaction between language and memory, 13,.

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 585–589.Mitchell, K. J. (2003). Source Monitoring and Suggestibility to Misinformation: Adult Age-Related Differences. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 17 :107–119.Poolea, D. &. (2002). Reducing Child Witnesses False Reports of Misinformation from Parents. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 81, 2:117–140.References or the bibliography:Brainerd, C.J. & Reyna, V.F., (1998). Fuzzy-trace theory and childrens false memories. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 71, 2: 81–129.Bruck, M. & Melnyk, L., (2004) Individual differences in childrens suggestibility: a review and synthesis.

Applied Cognitive Psychology, 18, 8: 947–996.Coxon, P. & Valentine, T., (1997)). The effects of the age of eyewitnesses on the accuracy and suggestibility of their testimony. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 11: 415-430.Marche, T. (1999). Memory Strength Affects Reporting of Misinformation. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 73, 1: 45–71.Zaragoza, M.S. & Sean, M.L., (1994). Source misattributions and the suggestibility of eyewitness memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20, 4: 934-945.