Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons^™

The Influence Of Recall Instructions On The Verbal Overshadowing Effect, Melissa Ann Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the influence of recall instructions on the verbal overshadowing effect (VOE). Participants watched a video of a burglar breaking and entering, were asked to recall information about the burglar, and attempted to identify the burglar from a photo lineup. Recall instructions were varied between participants. In Experiment 1, participants in a ‘general recall’ instruction condition were instructed to provide a description of the burglar’s physical appearance. Participants in a ‘face recall’ instruction condition were asked to provide a description of the burglar’s facial features. A control group of participants, the ‘no recall’ instruction condition, were not …