Effects of Emotion in Eyewitness Recall and Recognition

Effects of Emotion in Eyewitness Recall and Recognition Aaron Glogowski Houston, K. A., et al. (2013). The Emotional Eyewitness: The Effects  of Emotion on Specific Aspects of Eyewitness Recall and Recognition Performance. Emotion, 13  (1), 118-128. doi: 10.1037/a0029220 In the world of criminal science, there are several factors that can interfere with the accuracy of eyewitness reports. This article, by Kate Houston and her team, delves into the effects of emotion on eyewitness encounters. The main argument that they are looking at focuses on negative emotion enhancing central memory while impairing the peripheral memory, where central memories are the main details that occurred, likely relating specifically to the action of the crime, and peripheral memories are the smaller details that were happening around the crime. Houston notes that in spite of all of the writings on eyewitness memory, very few studies attempt to show a correlation between it and memory. She goes on to hypothesize that negative correlations will indeed enhance the central memory of the event, further exploring details like the crime itself. In her observations of other studies however, she does note that high stress scenarios tended to cause subjects to forget details about the perpetrator of the situation, at least in the case of a previous study on soldier’s interrogations. In order to test their hypotheses, Houston and her team set up two different experiments designed to test recall memory performance, as well as the participant’s ability to identify the perpetrator of the crime, both associated with negative emotional response. In their first experiment, the team hypothesized that a negative emotional response would allow the participants to more easily describe details about the perpetrator. They gathered a participation group of 101 students from the University of Aberdeen (30 males; 71 females) to engage in the study. They divided the group into two subgroups. The group of 51 was shown a video that was meant to induce an emotional response, and the group of 50 was shown a video intended to illicit a neutral response from the participants. Both videos used the same actors and scenarios up to the point in which the story deviates to the emotional induction. Once the participants had watched their respective videos, they were asked to answer a brief survey about how the video made them feel. They were given several different emotions, as well as a neutral â€Å"I feel nothing† option, and were asked to rank all of these emotions on a scale of 0-3 (0 being not at all, and 3 being very much). After they rated what they were feeling, the results were collected and the participants were given a 20 minute wait period in which they had to fill out a questionnaire on likes and dislikes, though this questionnaire was truly only present to provide a distraction for the next part of the experiment. The participants were then asked to write down as many details about the video that they could remember. In the results of the experiment, Houston’s team discovered that the emotion-inducing video tended to cause much higher responses to negative emotions than the neutral video did. They also noticed that the group viewing the emotional video recalled the events of the emotional moment in much more clarity and complete detail than the neutral video control group, however, they could not recall details about the perpetrator as well. Their data also shows that there is not a significant correlation between the negative emotional responses and the amount of information given about the perpetrator and the critical moment. This data concludes that those experiencing negative emotions tended to focus their attention directly on the perpetrator, however, there was no significant difference in their ability to describe the perpetrator when compared to the results from the neutral video control group. While the idea that focus is altered in a critical moment coincided with the evidence, t he data could not identify any significant difference in memory and recall. The second experiment was designed to test whether or not negative emotions and stress impair the individual’s ability to identify a perpetrator when they are presented with a series of options (in this case, a photo line-up). Houston’s team used two separate photo line-ups for the experiment: one in which the perpetrator’s photo was present, and another where the perpetrator’s photo had been replaced by one that looked very similar to them. The team made sure to select alternates for the replacement photo based on resemblance to the perpetrator according to a method recommended by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act used to identify criminals in the United Kingdom. They split up a group of 233 participants into relatively even subgroups at the beginning of the study. They began the study in the same way as the first experiment: two separate videos were shown, one emotional, one neutral, then the participants were asked about their emotional responses to the videos, and given time after the emotional response portion. Once the period after the emotional response survey had passed, the participants completed a recall survey about the videos, then they divided the groups again into two separate subgroups. One subgroup was shown the picture line-up containing the perpetrator’s image, while the other was shown the line-up with the face double’s image. The results of the second experiment confirmed the team’s previous theories that the video was successful in eliciting an emotional response, and that emotional responses were similar to the previous experiment, based on their initial observations. The second set of findings turned out to be in accordance with the initial hypothesis of the second experiment. Participants who watched the emotional video were much more likely than those who watched the neutral video to incorrectly identify an innocent target as the perpetrator. Around 25% of the time, participants in the group in which the perpetrator’s photo was included would claim that the perpetrator’s picture was not among those in the line-up. Those who saw the neutral video were much more likely to identify the real perpetrator (40.4% as opposed to 27.1% from the emotional video group). In the group in which the perpetrator’s photo was absent however, there appeared to be no significant correlation between emotional response and the answers given. The recall results for this experiment were very similar to the recall results for the first experiment. In collecting their results from the second experiment, Houston’s team arrived at several conclusions based on the data that had been collected. Their data further supported the idea that people exposed to negative emotional experiences focused more on the perpetrator, but less on the rest of the situation, but they no longer had any sense of improved environmental detail. They both however showed the same level of accuracy in describing the target. The photo line-up tests show very different results however, showing that those exposed to negative emotional experiences would more likely identify the wrong target when the target’s picture appears along with others similar in appearance and features to them. When the target was not shown however, the emotional video groups tended to have similar results to those in the neutral video group. In the team’s conclusion to their article, they discussed the probable reasoning behind the discrepancies in their experimental results. They note that the environmental results differ between the experiments, showing that it may be unreliable. The data as a whole shows that negative emotional responses may have different results on eyewitness testimony, depending on the situation.

Florence Nightingale Essay -- Biography Biographies Bio Papers

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale, a well-educated nurse, was recruited along with 38 other nurses for service in a hospital called Scutari during the Crimean War in 1854 . It was Nightingale's approaches to nursing that produced amazing results. Florence Nightingale was responsible for crucial changes in hospital protocol, a new view on the capabilities and potential of women, and the creation of a model of standards that all future nurses could aspire towards. Florence Nightingale was born on May 12th 1820. Her father, who was a wealthy and intelligent man, believed that women deserved an education. Thus, Florence Nightingale and her sister were educated in Italian, Latin, Greek, History, and Mathematics. This is quite possibly why Ms. Nitghengale was able to achieve what she did in her life. Nightingale excelled at mathematics particularly, and later took on an interest in medicine. At 38 years of age, Nightingale was working as an unpaid superintendent of a London "establishment for gentlewomen during illness", and came to the attention of Sidney Herbert, the Secretary of War. Herbert recruited Nightingale work at Scutari in 1854. Nightingale was responsible for changing the structure of British medicine and medicinal practice. Before Nightingale applied her methods of sterilization and organization to Scutari, the hospital was appalling, as were most hospitals in that period of time. What Nightingale found when she arrived at her post was a filthy hospital that was lacking supplies of almost every kind, had dying soldiers forced to sleep on the dirty floor due to lack of beds, and no latrines at all. Under Nightingale's leadership, her team of nurses reduced the mortality rate at the hospital from 60% to a ... ... By M. E. Baly. Encyclopedia Of Medicine. 1989 Edition s.v. "History of Nursing." By Charles B. Clyman, MD. Lipsey, Sally. Mathematical Education in the Life of Florence Nightingale. 18 February 1998. (12 December 2000). McDonald, Lynn. Florence Nightingale and the Foundations of Public Health Care, as seen through her Collected Works. 17 February 2000. (12 December 2000). Medical Creeds. (12 December 2000). Nilaya, Bruce. The Lady With The Lamp. (12 December 2000). Nilaya, Bruce. The Crimean War. (12 December 2000). Orem, Dorothea E. Nursing: Concepts of Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1985. Seacole, Mary. Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Terrot, Sarah Anne. Nurse Sarah Anne: with Florence Nightingale at Scutari. London: J. Murray, 1977.

Microsoft Antitrust Case

There has been a lot of debate recently about Bill Gates within the software industry.   This debate has occurred because Windows is on the majority of personal desktops, which is considered a monopoly in the system.   The problem with having a monopoly is that any software that is written by any company must work with the Windows operating system. That means that all companies must consult with Microsoft before making software.   It also means that Microsoft can effectively destroy a company by refusing to use their software.   Or, Microsoft can create their own products that compete with other companies, and they can include it with the Windows operating system for free.   Since free products that work well with the operating system (and which is conveniently already there) will be chosen over alternatives, Microsoft can severely harm their competitors with this strategy. The lawsuits against Microsoft said that the company was using this power to destroy different companies and to boost their own products. Q2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this country, monopolies are frowned upon.   While this is a capitalist society that allows free market competition, it is assumed that all companies should have an equal chance to participate in the market and to make profits.   This was especially true in the time of the anti-trust laws, when the Clinton administration was in office, an administration that was against big business as a rule.   The verdict handed down was decidedly harsh, calling Microsoft a â€Å"thug† in its business dealings with other companies. These issues do exist in other countries as well.   In fact, some countries will not allow Microsoft to sell their products anymore because of the proprietary software and operating systems that they use.   Countries do not want products that take over the market entirely, they want competition from different products, like the U.S. does. Q3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people felt that Microsoft was not being at all ethical in the way they were dealing with this issue.   In being freely competitive, companies should do the best they can to promote their products and win the favor of the consumers, but they should not go so far as to make it impossible for other companies to compete. There are other business ethics, as well.   Microsoft should not be forcing their competitors, or those who support their business (the software companies) to write their products or conduct business in any particular way.   However, by writing an operating system that requires software to be produced in specific ways, they are basically forcing companies to do things their way, or to lose the business of almost everyone in America who owns a PC.   Since companies obviously do not want to go under, they are forced to play the game Microsoft’s way. Another issue is that if Microsoft doesn’t like the product a company comes up with, they can force the product off the market by offering their own version of it, which comes bundled with their operating system.   For sheer convenience alone, Microsoft can win that battle every time.   This is unethical because Microsoft only has to decide that they don’t like a product, and they can simply make it disappear. Legally, the U.S. government does not allow monopolies to appear in the business world, for precisely the above reasons.   It allows oligopolies (where a few major companies control the market share relatively equally), but monopolies make it too difficult for new businesses to break into the system.   Also, in Microsoft’s case, it was not only controlling its own section of the industry, but actually the entire industry.   The case’s judge considered this type of behavior â€Å"predatory.† Q4) Microsoft is, of course, the primary player in this case.   It is using its power as the leader in the industry to try to remain the leader, and to control even more of the industry.   Meanwhile, most other software companies, including Novell, Netscape, and PC manufacturer Gateway, are against Microsoft.   They are trying to destroy Microsoft’s monopoly in order to create opportunity for themselves.   Of course, if they were in Microsoft’s position, they would do no differently. All software companies are seeking to lead the industry and have a monopoly, because that is the primary way to make money.   Because these software companies cannot do this while Microsoft is in the way, they are calling for Microsoft’s destruction or separation into smaller companies so that they can have a shot at the big top. The government is also trying to use its power to destroy Microsoft, despite the fact that the Clinton administration has approved more large mergers than any previous administration.   They are making an example of Microsoft because a lot of people are upset about it.   This occurred just before an election year, so they would be attempting to garner political power from this move (as we know, it did not work, and the Democrats lost the White House in 2000). Source McLaughlin, Martin (1999).   â€Å"Behind the Microsoft antitrust case: computer giants battle for market and profits.†Ã‚   World Socialist Website.   Accessed December 7, 2007.   Website: http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/nov1999/micr-n11.shtml

Essay on The Death Penalty - 1543 Words

Capital Punishment The Death Penalty In the United States many crimes are committed every day, people killing another person, raping innocent children. I strongly believe that people who committed a crime should be punished and punished harshly and those who commit harm to another person should die. The Capital Punishment is a controversial topic that affects society as a whole and causes a great deal of disagreement. Capital punishment is the government legally kills an individual as punishment for a serious crime. It is not intended to inflict any physical pain or any torture; it is only another form of punishment. Addressing the follow questions: 1. What is history of the death Penalty? 2. Florida status in the death Row†¦show more content†¦In 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts many lives were taking in trial most knows as â€Å"the witchcraft trial†. Also, the government had made a big impact throughout history by narrow the crimes in order to make it justice; in 1682, the Great Act stated that the only treason and murder could be punished by death. In the late 1880’s the government passed a law limiting the number of crimes punishable by death such as treason, murder and rape. Florida Status In The Death Row Nationwide? In Florida, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Fins) states that as of January 1, 2009; Florida has 402 death row inmates, making it the state with the second highest number of death row inmates in the nation. The crimes that are punishable by death in Florida are first degree murder, felony murder, capital drug trafficking, and capital sexual battery. Currently, the methods of execution practiced are lethal injection and the electric chair. In lethal injection, there is a three drug combination which consists of Sodium Pentothal (an anesthetic), Pancuronium Bromide (a paralytic agent), and Potassium Chloride (stops the heart and causes death). In electrocution, the inmate is strapped down to a chair while various cycles of electrical currents differing in voltage and duration (500-2000 volts and up to 30 seconds) pass through the body damaging the internal organs and causing death. Cost Of Inmate? People who oppose the death penalty might stateShow MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty Is Justified1143 Words   |  5 PagesAllison Shu 2/25/16 Period 2 Objective paper on the death penalty Capital punishment is legally authorized killing as punishment for a crime. The death penalty questions the morality of killing a person as justification for their crime. It also brings to question whether the death penalty actually serves as a deterrent for crime, and that some of the people executed are found innocent afterwards. 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