Accuracy of EWT - Anxiety

Anxiety

An emotion that brings feelings of tension, worry and physical changes. Not clear if anxiety improves recall for EWT

Negative effects of anxiety on accuracy

May affect the accuracy of EWT due to the weapon focus effect. The eyewitness may focus on the weapon due to fear, the fight-or-flight response

Weapon focus effect

Where a witness focuses their attention on the weapon being used in a crime. Causes a state of anxiety which leads to difficulty in recall

Positive effects of anxiety on accuracy

May be due to an increase in the hormone adrenaline, triggers fight, flight or freeze response, results in a state of high alertness

Case study for negative effects of anxiety on accuracy

Johnson and Scott 1976

Case study for positive effects of anxiety on accuracy

Yuille and Cutshall 1986

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Used to explain the contradictory findings. Proposed that there is relationship between arousal (emotional state, anxiety) and performance (recall, accuracy)

Yerkes-Dodson Law findings

When a crime is witnessed, a person becomes emotionally and physiologically (adrenaline) aroused. Low levels of arousal = low levels of performance. As arousal increases = performance increases to an optimum. After, as arousal continues = performance decreases