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When a question reshapes a memory

After a car crash or a crime, the way an investigator phrases a single question can change what a witness remembers seeing. Research on eyewitness reports separates what someone originally observed from information introduced afterward, making question wording a crucial part of the evidence problem.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • How can leading wording affect a later report?
  • What separates a laboratory finding from judging one real witness?

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Psychology

Can an option nobody wants change what people choose?

Choosing between two offers can feel different when a third appears beside them. A decoy is less attractive than one option on the relevant features, but its presence does not reliably change every decision.

5–7 min

Can an option nobody wants change what people choose?

Psychology5–7 minChoosing between two offers can feel different when a third appears beside them. A decoy is less attractive than one option on the relevant features, but its presence does not reliably change every decision.

How can you miss something that is right in front of you?

Psychology3–5 minLooking at a scene does not mean noticing everything in it. When attention is occupied by one task, something plainly visible can go unreported, a pattern called inattentional blindness.

Psychology

Why does RED printed in blue trip us up?

Imagine the word RED printed in blue ink. Saying the ink color can take longer than reading the word, especially when the two disagree. This is the Stroop effect: a simple demonstration that opens questions about attention, practiced reading, and competing responses.

4–5 min

Why does RED printed in blue trip us up?

Psychology4–5 minImagine the word RED printed in blue ink. Saying the ink color can take longer than reading the word, especially when the two disagree. This is the Stroop effect: a simple demonstration that opens questions about attention, practiced reading, and competing responses.

When a question reshapes a memory | Speech Topic | speaking.app