Loftus and Palmer (1974) (classical evidence)

Loftus and Palmer (1974) is an iconic piece of research within the cognitive approach of psychology.
The key focus of the study was to investigate how information supplied after an event can have an impact on our memory of that event.
More specifically, the researchers were interested in exploring how leading questions could influence an eyewitness’s recall of thе event.

Participants were shown short film clips of car accidents. After watching the clips, the participants were asked a series of questions.
The critical question was: “About how fast were the cars going when they ***** each other?”
There were five conditions in which the word ‘hit’ was replaced with ‘smashed’, ‘collided’, ‘bumped’, ‘contacted’ which all supposed to suggest different speeds.

Findings revealed that the wording of the question influenced the participants’ estimates of speed. The condition with the word ‘smashed’ produced the highest estimates of speed and ‘contacted’ being the lowest.
A follow-up experiment demonstrated how recall of the presence of broken glass was also influenced by the wording of questions, implying the introduction of false memories.
The experiment concluded that the phrasing of a question can significantly alter an eyewitness’s recall of an event, highlighting the malleability of memory.

Critiques of the study point to its artificiality, external validity and ethical concerns about the manufacture of false memories.
Despite its criticisms, the research has far-reaching implications for the legal system, particularly relating to the questioning of eyewitnesses.
It has ultimately formed the foundation for further research into eyewitness testimony and false memory, and has contributed significantly to our understanding of these concepts.

The study by Loftus and Palmer supports the Cognitive Approach as it demonstrates that our perceptions and memories can be easily influenced and manipulated.
It underscores the principle that human cognitions (i.e., memory) are not infallible and objective, but are instead susceptible to modification and bias. This is regarded as a key principle of the cognitive approach.