Unit 3 Question 1

In this study, what is the independent variable and what is the dependent variable?

Speed Estimate

Language Used

The Cars

Smashing

Hitting

In 1974, Loftus and Palmer conducted a classic study demonstrating how language used to ask a question can influence eyewitness memory. In the study, college students watched a film of an autombile accident and then were asked questions about what they saw. One group was asked, "About how fast were the cars when they smashed into each other?" Another group were asked, "About how fast were the cars when they hit each other?" The "smashed into" group reported significantly higher estimates of speed than the "hit" group.