The participants were randomly paired using the SONA system. When they arrived each participant was first asked to complete the Paulhus Social Desirability Scale. This scale is also known as the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding and was devised in 1984 by Delroy Paulhus. The scale has two subdivisions. The first is the Self Deception Enhancement which measures how much the participant exaggerates positive things about themselves and tries to hide negative things. The second section is Impression Management which assesses how much people exaggerate their participation in desirable behavior.  After they completed the scale they were shown one of two versions of a video of a simulated crime (they were unaware that they had seen separate videos). Immediately after they watched the video they were asked to complete a survey about what they had just seen. They left and returned 24 hours later at which time they spoke to their partner about the video and what they remembered seeing, still unaware that they had not seen the same video. They were then asked to complete a word search for five minutes as a distraction task. They were then asked to complete the same survey as the day before. 





These flow charts might make the methods easier to understand:

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The surveys were graded by a system that I devised. On both surveys the participant received one point for every correct neutral detail (detail shared by both videos), two points for every correct critical detail (detail specific to their video), and zero points for completely incorrect or unanswered questions. On the second survey I gave them an additional three point for every detail they changed to match what their partner said. This would ensure that the greater the difference in the scores, the more responses they changed. 

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The Videos:

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Video A: “Bank Surveillance”, Three criminals, one of the criminals is female, bystander resistance, all criminals in hoodies
Video B: Four criminals, no location markers, all male criminals, 3 of the criminals are wearing hats and coats, no resistance

Neutral items: guns used, crime is 30-40 seconds long, criminals leave with a bag, female receptionist





 

         Video A                                                                                Video B

 





 





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