NCJ Number
54599
Journal
BULLETIN OF THE PSYCHONOMIC SOCIETY Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 129-132
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
SUBJECTS WORKING IN GROUPS OF ONE, TWO, AND THREE HEARD AN EXCERPT OF COURTROOM TESTIMONY AND WERE LATER ASKED TO RATE STATEMENTS ABOUT MATERIAL IN THE TESTIMONY AS TRUE, FALSE, OR OF INDETERMINATE TRUTH VALUE.
Abstract
PERSONS SELECTED AS SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY WERE 72 UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY (MANHATTAN, KANS.). A 5-MINUTE SEGMENT OF SIMULATED TRIAL TESTIMONY WAS THE STIMULUS MATERIAL. THE TESTIMONY CONCERNED THE DISCOVERY OF AN APPARENT OFFICE BURGLARY BY A WITNESS. QUESTIONS CONCERNED SUCH EVENTS AS THE APPEARANCE OF THE OFFICE, ACTIONS OF THE WITNESS, AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE POLICE. EIGHTEEN CRITICAL SENTENCES WERE INCLUDED IN THE TESTIMONY, EACH OF WHICH COULD OCCUR IN TWO ALTERNATE FORMS (DIRECT ASSERTION OF SOME PIECE OF INFORMATION AND PRAGMATIC IMPLICATION OF INFORMATION). ALL SUBJECTS WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE PARTICIPATING IN A STUDY OF HOW PEOPLE EVALUATE EVIDENCE PRESENTED IN A JURY TRIAL. THEY WERE DIVIDED INTO INSTRUCTION AND NO-INSTRUCTION GROUPS, WITH INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO WAYS IN WHICH MEMORY RECORDS WHAT IS SAID AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COURTROOM. EVEN VERY EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO INTERPRET IMPLIED INFORMATION AS FACT DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SUBJECTS WHO DID JUST THAT. THERE WERE FEWER TRUE RESPONSES TO IMPLICATIONS THAN TO ASSERTIONS, BUT THERE WERE STILL A DISTURBING NUMBER OF TRUE RESPONSES TO IMPLICATION ITEMS. IN OVER HALF OF THE IMPLICATION ITEMS, SUBJECTS REMEMBERED THE INFORMATION AS DIRECTLY ASSERTED. NO DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSES AS A FUNCTION OF GROUP SIZE WERE OBSERVED. THE QUESTION OF WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO 'INSTRUCT OUT' THE FALLACY OF REMEMBERING IMPLICATIONS AS ASSERTED INFORMATION IS DISCUSSED. SAMPLE CRITICAL STATEMENTS BY THE WITNESS AND TEST ITEMS ARE LISTED. SUPPORTING STUDY DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)