Loftus and Palmer conducted a pivotal experiment that demonstrated how the wording of a question can influence a person’s memory recall. In their study, participants watched a video clip of a traffic accident, and afterward, they were asked to estimate the speed of the cars involved. The twist came from the phrasing of the question; half of the participants were asked, ‘How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?’ while the others were asked, ‘How fast were the cars going when they contacted each other?’
What they found was striking: those who heard the word ‘smashed’ estimated a higher speed compared to those who heard ‘contacted.’ This indicated that the way a question is framed can distort a person’s perception and memory of an event. The study highlights the reconstructive nature of human memory, suggesting that it is not a perfect recording of experiences but rather influenced by external cues and suggestions.
In summary, Loftus and Palmer’s research shows how memory can be malleable, raising important questions about the reliability of eyewitness testimony and how memories can be altered by simply changing the language we use.