In a Famous Experiment on the Unreliability of Eyewitness Testimony

question 102

Multiple Choice

In a famous experiment on the unreliability of eyewitness testimony, participants first watched a video of a car wreck and were then asked either, "How fast was the car going when it hit the other car?" or "How fast was the car going when it smashed into the other car?" The hypothesis was that the word "smashed" would induce higher estimates of speed than the word "hit." What is the null hypothesis?

• A) The "hit" group will estimate a lower speed than the "smashed" group.
• B) Only the "smashed" group will estimate a high speed.
• C) Both groups will give similar estimates of speed.
• D) Neither group will estimate the speed.

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Definitions:

Previous Conditioning

The influence of past conditioning experiences on current behavior and learning.

Unconditioned Response

A natural, automatic reaction to a stimulus that occurs without prior learning or conditioning.

Salivation Elicited

The reflexive process of producing saliva in the mouth, often triggered by the anticipation of food, through both psychological and physiological responses.

Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning or conditioning.