Pickel K L
Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA.
Memory. 1998 May;6(3):277-95. doi: 10.1080/741942361.
In two experiments exploring possible causes of the "weapon focus" effect, undergraduates viewed videotapes depicting interactions in business establishments. The target character was either empty-handed or held different objects that varied in both threat and unusualness. Witnesses attempted to describe the target's features and clothing, identify the object held by him (if any), and identify him in a photo line-up. The accuracy of witnesses' descriptions was affected by unusualness but not threat. Identification accuracy did not differ by condition. Witnesses had difficulty remembering the low-threat, non-unusual object; many either failed to identify it (Experiment 1) or reported seeing no object (Experiment 2). The results of both experiments imply that weapon focus, when it occurs, may do so because weapons are unexpected.
在两项探究“武器聚焦”效应可能成因的实验中，大学生观看了描绘商业场所互动场景的录像带。目标人物要么空手，要么手持不同的物品，这些物品在威胁程度和不寻常程度上各不相同。目击者试图描述目标人物的特征和衣着，辨认他所持的物品（如果有的话），并在一组照片中认出他。目击者描述的准确性受不寻常程度影响，但不受威胁程度影响。不同条件下的辨认准确性没有差异。目击者很难记住低威胁、非不寻常的物品；许多人要么没能辨认出它（实验1），要么报告说没看到物品（实验2）。两项实验的结果都表明，武器聚焦效应（如果出现的话）可能是因为武器是出乎意料的。
