In a Classic Study on Misinformation (Loftus, Et Al

Multiple Choice

In a classic study on misinformation (Loftus, et al., 1978) , participants first viewed a brief film of a car accident. Some participants were then asked how fast the cars were going when they 'hit' each other; other participants were then asked how fast the cars were going when they 'smashed' each other. Finally, all participants were asked if they saw broken glass in the film. What were the results of the study?

A) The participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they 'smashed' each other remembered the cars as traveling faster than did participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they 'hit' each other. Both groups of participants were equally likely to remember broken glass in the film.
B) The participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they 'smashed' each other remembered the cars as traveling faster than did participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they 'hit' each other. They were also more likely to remember seeing broken glass than were the participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they 'hit' each other.
C) Both groups of participants were equally likely to remember broken glass in the film. In addition, the participant groups did not differ in their estimates of the speeds of the cars.
D) The participant groups did not differ in their estimates of the speeds of the cars. However, the participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they 'smashed' each other remembered the cars as traveling faster than did participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they 'hit' each other.