In a study by Elizabeth Loftus and John Palmer (1974) on eyewitness memory, participants were shown a film of an automobile accident. They found that the participants' memories of the event were influenced by:
A) whether they had seen pictures of the accident.
B) being asked which of the two cars was speeding.
C) the words used to describe the impact of the two cars.
D) the reports given by other eyewitnesses.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Loftus and Palmer's study demonstrated that the wording of questions, specifically the verbs used to describe the impact (e.g., "smashed" vs. "hit"), influenced participants' memories of the accident, affecting their speed estimates and reports of seeing broken glass.

In a Study by Elizabeth Loftus and John Palmer (1974)