Summarize the theory of reconstructive memory as it relates to eyewitness testimony. What does the research suggest about the use of such testimony from children?
What will be an ideal response?
Reconstructive memory is a concept underlying the theory that eyewitness testimony
can be altered by exposure to post-event information. According to this theory, first
proposed by Elizabeth Loftus, even false information about an event we have earlier
observed can influence and be incorporated into our memory of that event. For
example, Loftus and Palmer (1974) demonstrated that when participants who viewed a
film of a traffic accident were later asked questions about the accident, the wording of
these questions significantly influenced their recollections. By implication, the accuracy
of eyewitnesses' testimony can be reduced by post-event information to which the
eyewitnesses were exposed—a particular concern when the eyewitnesses are
children. Indeed, children have a difficult time distinguishing between their real
memories and the post-event suggestions to which they are later exposed. Laboratory
experiments indicate that preschool-age children are more likely than older children or
adults to incorporate such post-event suggestions into their memories.
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a. indications of learned helplessness and dependence on the therapist. b. an indication of the confusion a patient feels due to his or her distorted logic. c. clues or a guide to a patient's unconscious conflicts. d. roadblocks in therapy.
Sleepwalkers typically
a. do not remember their nighttime excursions. b. become violent if awakened during their excursions. c. do not respond to questions while they are up. d. all of these.
In which of the following situations is a person the LEAST likely to do nothing:
a. The person sees a victim, but doesn't have training to do first aid. b. The person sees a victim and there are many others around. c. The person sees a victim collapse next to him or her. d. The person sees two children, who look similar, fighting.
What happens to the rate of firing in motor neurons as we age?
A. No changes occur. B. Firing rates decrease, leading to slower and weaker muscle responses. C. Firing rates increase, leading to uncomfortable cramping. D. Firing rates decrease, but muscle fibers are able to compensate for these changes.