The effects of gender differences in pairs of eyewitnesses on recall memory

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether gender di#erences between pairs of eyewitnesses influence their collaborative recall. Using the MORI technique (Mori, 2003), two di#erent images can be presented on a single screen and viewed separately by two groups of participants through polarizing filters, so that they are unaware of actually viewing two di#erent overlapping images. The participants in this study were 48 undergraduates, assigned to one of three groups: a) eight male pairs, b) eight female pairs, and c) eight mixed-gender pairs. Wearing polarizing sunglasses, the members of each pairing observed two slightly di#erent versions of an event projected on the same screen. The participants were asked initially to report individually on what they had observed (pre-discussion report), and then to discuss the event with the other member of the pairing and make a consensus report (post-discussion report). After one week, the participants were again asked to report individually on their recollections for the event (week-later report). The results indicated that memory performance for female pairs improved significantly in the post-discussion and the week-later reports. An increase in memory performance for male pairs was only found in the post-discussion report. However, no significant improvements in memory scores for the mixedgender pairs were observed in any of their reports.

Pre-Schoolers’ Reports of Conflicting Points Secretly Inserted into a Co-Witnessed Event: An Experimental Investigation Using the MORI Technique

“…However, it clearly showed that collaboration of co-witnesses may lead to better memory performance. It was repeatedly shown in the experimental studies utilizing the MORI method (Kanematsu, et al, 1996(Kanematsu, et al, /2003Matsuno, et al, 2005;Mori & Kitabayashi, 2009). That was mostly because witnesses may well be mutually reminded of the correct information by their partners if they collaborate.…”

“…Researchers found that, in subsequent discussion of what they had witnessed together, participants tended to modify their own memory of what they had observed in order to conform to that of their co-witnesses. Mori and his collaborators have conducted a series of experiments to investigate the memory distortions of co-witnesses under various conditions: male vs. female pairs (Matsuno, Mori, Hirokawa, & Ukita, 2005), couples vs. unacquainted pairs (French, Garry, & Mori, 2008), one-vs-two witnesses and two-vs-two witnesses , as well as mother-child pairs (Mori & Kitabayashi, 2009). Gabbert, Memon, and Allan (2003) also investigated the co-witness effect on memory recollection utilizing a different paradigm.…”