Describe Loftus and Palmer's study on eyewitness testimony.

Loftus and Palmer's study investigated the effect of leading questions on eyewitness testimony.

The study involved participants watching a video of a car accident and then answering questions about what they had seen. Participants were divided into five groups, with each group being asked a different question about the speed of the car involved in the accident. The question was phrased differently for each group, with words such as "smashed", "collided", "bumped", "hit" and "contacted" being used.

The results showed that the wording of the question had a significant effect on participants' estimates of the speed of the car. Participants who were asked the question using the word "smashed" gave a higher estimate of the speed than those who were asked the question using the word "contacted".

Loftus and Palmer concluded that leading questions can distort eyewitness testimony, as they can influence the participant's memory of the event. This has important implications for the criminal justice system, as eyewitness testimony is often used as evidence in court cases.

Further research has supported Loftus and Palmer's findings, with studies showing that eyewitness testimony is often unreliable and can be influenced by a range of factors, including the wording of questions, the presence of weapons, and the length of time between the event and the testimony. As a result, it is important for the criminal justice system to take these factors into account when evaluating eyewitness testimony.