During a high-profile heist at an art gallery, a curator, Elena, was cornered by an intruder who brandished a large, silver hunting knife. Elena was standing inches away, extremely terrified and trembling. Meanwhile, Marcus, a security guard, monitored the situation via a CCTV feed from a locked control room, feeling alert but calm. Both individuals later provided statements to the police, but their descriptions of the intruder and the event differed significantly.
Using your knowledge of research into the effects of anxiety on eyewitness testimony, explain why Elena's and Marcus's statements are likely to differ.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Eyewitness testimony with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 82 questions, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
