Faculty Publications

The Effects Of Exemplar And Prototype Descriptors On Verbal Overshadowing

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Volume

16

Issue

8

First Page

929

Last Page

936

Abstract

Previous research has found that providing a verbal description for a face impedes later recognition of that face. The current experiment evaluates how the type of information participants are asked to provide about the face affects later recognition. Participants provided attribute, exemplar or prototype information about a person they saw commit a videotaped crime. The verbal overshadowing effect was replicated for participants in the attribute condition. Exemplar participants reproduced this effect, while prototype participants performed nearly as well as controls. Theoretical and practical implications of the type of information witnesses are asked to provide are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Department

Department of Psychology

Original Publication Date

12-1-2002

DOI of published version

10.1002/acp.923

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