TITLE:
Conformity of Witnesses with Low Self-Esteem to Their Co-Witnesses
AUTHORS:
Tomoka Tainaka, Tomoko Miyoshi, Kazuo Mori
KEYWORDS:
Conformity, Self-Esteem, Japanese Female Students, Witness Memory Misinformation Paradigm
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.15,
October
17,
2014
ABSTRACT: We
investigated the conformity of Japanese female students with varying
self-esteem levels in a co-witness memory experimental paradigm. We had 24
Japanese female student pairs (18 - 26 years old) watch a video clip of a
simulated criminal event together. Utilizing a presentation trick, we presented
two different versions of the video clip simultaneously on the screen but
allowed the viewers to observe only one without their being aware of the
duality. Conformity responses were detected through analysis of the answer
patterns showing change from their own to their partner’s in pre- and
post-memory tests. We also assessed self-esteem and divided the participants
into three groups according to their levels. The results showed that
participants with low levels of self-esteem tended to conform to their
co-witness more often than those with high self-esteem scores. We found that
personality traits would be crucial factors in conformity through the present
study.