The effects of hypnosis, context reinstatement, and anxiety on eyewitness memory

Abstract

The effects of hypnosis, context reinstatement, and motivational instructions on accuracy of recall for factual information and facial recognition accuracy following a stressful event were assessed. None of the three techniques had a significant effect on factual memory or susceptibility to suggestion as assessed by truefalse and multiplechoice tests. However, partiapants high in hypnotic susceptibility showed somewhat better memory on the truefalse test, and hypnosis affected performance on the two photograph lineups. In addition, hypnosis appeared to enhance facial recognition accuracy for partiapants who were low in anxiety, but not for those high in anxiety- Finally then? was evidence of a cuvilinear relationship between self-reported anxiety at time of retrieval and facial recognition accuracy.