Valentine T & Mesout J (2009)

Aim(s)

To investigate the influence of state anxiety on recall. They aimed to test the prediction of ‘’the catastrophe model’’ that states that in a situation which induces cognitive anxiety, high physiological arousal can cause a marked impairment in eyewitness recall and identification.

Specifically, they tested whether visitors to the London Dungeon could describe and identify somebody they encountered in the Horror Labyrinth.

Procedure

They used a correlation design as they did not have a non-stressful condition as a control.

Validation of State Anxiety Inventory: 20 employees of a London department store were recruited. Data from 2 participants was not analysed because their baseline heart rate was an outlier in the sample. The participants who contributed data for analysis had a mean age of 26.1 years (range 18–48 years) and 10 were female, 8 were male.

Informed consent was obtained before taking part in the study. Heart rate was measured using a Polax Accurex Plus wireless heart rate monitor. The wireless heart rate monitor was strapped around the participant’s chest. A baseline heart rate was measured with the participants walking slowly. Then their average heart rate was recorded whilst in the Labyrinth with other visitors.

Having completed their visit the participants reported, using State and Trait anxiety was measured using the Spielberger (1983) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, how they had felt whilst in the Labyrinth.

Eyewitness study: Visitors to the London Dungeon were offered a reduction in the admission price to complete questionnaires after their visit. 56 volunteers provided complete data that were analysed. They had a mean age of 31.0 years (range 18–54 years) and 29 were female, 27 were male.

The Horror Labyrinth is the first exhibit in the tour of the London Dungeon. It is a maze and visitors are admitted in groups of around thirty people. It is designed to disorientate visitors. It is dark, crowded and there is a sound track playing various scary noises and screams. There are several ‘scares’ in the Labyrinth. There was an actor in the Labyrinth, dressed in a dark robe and wearing theatrical make up to create a very pale facial skin colour with wounds or scars. This actor is the ‘scary person’ participants were to identify.

The actor would step out in front of the participant, and then block their path to prevent them passing.

Participants had agreed to fill in questionnaires about their visit but had not given informed consent to participate in the experiment, however after they had completed their tour, the purpose of the experiment was explained and informed consent was obtained.

They completed a questionnaire about how they felt. Then they completed a questionnaire on their memory for the ‘scary person’.

The dependent variable was the recall of the actor’s appearance and the identification of the actor from a ‘culprit-present’ line-up.

First they were asked to provide a written free recall description, then they were prompted to provide a cued recall (e.g. sex, age, height, hair colour, clothing etc.). In both recall tasks participants were instructed to include only those details they could remember and not to guess any details they were unsure of.

Finally, participants were shown a nine-person photograph line up which included the ‘scary person’ actor. Others in the photo line-up were similar in appearance, age, ethnic origin, and gender to the ‘scary person’ and wore the same make-up.

After making their decision, participants rated their confidence in their decision on a scale of 0–100% confidence.

Results

Validation of State Anxiety Inventory: The mean baseline heart rate of the 18 participants was 74.7 bpm, and while in the labyrinth it was 86.9 bpm. Therefore, the mean heart rate was reliably higher in the labyrinth. Their mean state anxiety score was 43.2.

Statistical analysis of heart rate and state anxiety showed a reliable association between increasing heart rate and state anxiety score, validating the SAI measure.

Eyewitness study: Data was obtained from 56 participants. The mean state anxiety score was 49.0. State anxiety was reliably higher for females than for males (52.8 vs. 45.3). The mean trait anxiety score was 36.8.

There was no significant difference in trait anxiety between males and females (36.3 vs. 37.3).

In free recall of the ‘scary person’ actor, the number of correct descriptors recalled was recorded. They found that participants who reported higher state anxiety recalled fewer correct details about the actor.