In a study by Elizabeth Loftus, subjects watched a film of an automobile accident, then answered a series of questions, including one asking them to estimate the speed of the cars. What factor affected the subjects' estimate of how fast the cars in the film were traveling?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The wording of the question, specifically whether the word "contacted," "hit," "bumped," "collided," or "smashed" was used, influenced the subjects' estimates of how fast the cars in the film were traveling. This is known as the "misinformation effect," where the wording of a question can alter a person's memory of an event. The other options (A, B, and D) do not have a significant impact on the subjects' estimates of car speed.

In a Study by Elizabeth Loftus, Subjects Watched a Film