Jermaine sees a car accident and he initially estimates the offending driver to be traveling at 50 kilometres per hour. However, after hearing another witness's report of the cars "bumping" and answering a police officer's questions about the rate of speed when the cars "contacted", he subsequently revises his estimate to 30 kilometres per hour and his memory of the accident changes. This is an example of ________.
A)bias
B)decay
C)interference
D)the misinformation effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario shows the misinformation effect, where new information (in this case, from the other witness and the police officer) can influence and alter a person's memory or perception of an event. Jermaine's initial estimate was biased, but his subsequent revision and changed memory were due to the misinformation he received.

Jermaine Sees a Car Accident and He Initially Estimates the Offending