All subjects · Psychology · WPS03 Applications of Psychology

Criminological psychology (option) contemporary study: Valentine and Mesout (2009)

Edexcel IAL Psychology · WPS03 Applications of Psychology

The alternative optional contemporary study: 'Eyewitness identification under stress in the London Dungeon' (spec 6.2.4).

Practise this in the app: instant marking and a fix for every mistake. Free, no email needed to start.

Practise this lesson

Aim and validation

Aim: to test the effect of state anxiety on eyewitness recall and identification, testing the prediction that high arousal impairs memory. Design: correlational (no low-stress control condition).

Validation study: 20 London department store employees were recruited (2 excluded as outliers, leaving 18). Heart rate was measured walking slowly (mean 74.7 bpm) and in the Horror Labyrinth (mean 86.9 bpm); afterwards they completed Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (mean state anxiety 43.2). Heart rate and state anxiety were reliably associated, which validated the State Anxiety Inventory as a measure of stress.

Eyewitness study

56 visitors (29 female, 27 male; mean age 31.0) who agreed to complete questionnaires for a reduced entry price.
The Horror Labyrinth is a dark, disorienting maze with screams and 'scares'. An actor in a dark robe and pale make-up with fake wounds stepped out and blocked each participant's path.
After the tour (when the study was explained), participants first completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (how they felt in the Labyrinth), then gave a free description of the actor, then cued recall (sex, age, height, hair, clothing), then tried to identify him from a nine-person photo line-up (culprit present, foils matched to his appearance and make-up) and rated their confidence (0 to 100%).

Results

Mean state anxiety 49.0; women reported higher state anxiety than men (52.8 versus 45.3).
Higher state anxiety was associated with fewer correct details recalled.
Only 17% of those above the median state anxiety identified the actor correctly, compared with 75% of those below the median.

Identification	Low state anxiety	High state anxiety
Accurate	21	5
Inaccurate	6	15
No identification	1	8

Pearson WPS03 summary of studies, Table 1

Conclusions and evaluation

Conclusions: high state anxiety impairs eyewitness recall and identification, strongly supporting the idea that high arousal under anxiety harms memory. Women may be especially vulnerable, as they reported more anxiety.

Evaluation:

Strengths: a real, frightening setting gives high ecological validity without the researchers creating the fear; the anxiety measure was validated against heart rate; standardised line-up.
Weaknesses: correlational and no control group, so other variables (lighting, crowding, individual differences) may explain results; self-reported anxiety after the event; visitors chose to be scared and knew it was entertainment, so it differs from a real crime; small sample of volunteers. Ethics: participants did not know the purpose until after the tour, but the stress was what any visitor experiences, and they were debriefed.

Worked example

Calculate chi-squared for accurate versus inaccurate identifications by low and high anxiety (leaving out 'no identification'). Is it significant at p ≤ .05 two-tailed?

Table: low anxiety 21 accurate, 6 inaccurate; high anxiety 5 accurate, 15 inaccurate (N = 47).
Expected low/accurate = 27 x 26 / 47 = 14.94; low/inaccurate = 12.06; high/accurate = 11.06; high/inaccurate = 8.94.
χ² = 12.95, df = 1.
Critical value (df 1, two-tailed, p ≤ .05) = 3.84; at p ≤ .01 = 6.64. 12.95 exceeds both: significant at p ≤ .01.

Answer: χ² = 12.95, significant.

Key idea: Valentine and Mesout (2009): London Dungeon Horror Labyrinth; validation with heart rate (74.7 to 86.9 bpm); 56 visitors described and identified an actor from a 9-person line-up. High state anxiety meant fewer correct details and fewer correct identifications (17% v 75%). High ecological validity; correlational.

Check yourself

In the validation study, mean heart rate rose from 74.7 bpm to 86.9 bpm. By how much did it rise? Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
Show answer
12.2 bpm. 86.9 - 74.7 = 12.2 bpm.
Of the low-anxiety participants, 21 of 28 identified the actor correctly. What percentage is that?
Show answer
75 %. 21 / 28 x 100 = 75%.
For the 2 x 2 table (low anxiety: 21 accurate, 6 inaccurate; high anxiety: 5 accurate, 15 inaccurate), calculate χ² to 2 decimal places.
Show answer
12.95. Expected values 14.94, 12.06, 11.06, 8.94; χ² = 12.95.
Why did Valentine and Mesout measure heart rate in the validation study?
- To check that the State Anxiety Inventory really measured stress
- To select participants for the main study
- To identify the actor
- To measure memory
Show answer
To check that the State Anxiety Inventory really measured stress. It validated the self-report measure against a physiological one.
Why is Valentine and Mesout (2009) described as correlational?
- It used a line-up
- It took place in London
- Anxiety was measured, not manipulated, and there was no control condition
- It had two groups of visitors chosen at random
Show answer
Anxiety was measured, not manipulated, and there was no control condition. Natural variation in anxiety was measured.
What did Valentine and Mesout find about gender?
- Women reported higher state anxiety than men
- Men reported higher state anxiety than women
- There was no gender difference in state anxiety
- Only men took part
Show answer
Women reported higher state anxiety than men. 52.8 versus 45.3.
Explain why Valentine and Mesout (2009) has high ecological validity.
Show answer
The study took place in a real tourist attraction where visitors experienced genuine fear in the Horror Labyrinth, so their stress was real rather than created by a laboratory task.. Setting plus real stress.

Practise with instant feedback

Sources

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.