The effect of weapons on memory for a crime: The impact of atypicality and prior frame of reference.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that atypicality has on memory for weapons, as well as the effect of contextual information provided prior to viewing a potential crime scene. It was hypothesized that unusual weapons would produce a more pronounced weapon focus effect than more typical weapons. Thus, it was expected that participants would show better memory for atypical weapons than typical weapons, but that those viewing a more unusual weapon would show impaired memory for the perpetrator. It was also hypothesized that the type of information participants received prior to viewing the event would influence memory for the weapon.;The results did not support the expected heightened weapon focus effect -- memory for the perpetrator was unaffected by type of weapon, and memory for the weapon itself actually showed more errors for more unusual weapons. However, there was a significant interaction between the type of weapon seen and the type of information provided, suggesting that the prior information had a differential impact depending on the type of weapon shown. Despite the lack of support for the first hypothesis, all of these results are explained within the context of the importance of a prior framework for understanding.