The influence of context on the "weapon focus" effect.

Abstract

Two experiments investigated context effects in “weapon focus.” In Experiment 1, undergraduates who watched a videotape depicting an armed man provided less accurate descriptions of him if the action occurred in a setting in which a gun is unexpected rather than commonly seen. Identification accuracy did not vary, and the degree of threat in the man's behavior had no effect. In Experiment 2, witnesses' descriptions were poorer if the target carried an object that was inconsistent with his occupation (as indicated by his clothing style) and better if the object and occupation were not inconsistent. The results of both experiments imply that weapon focus may occur because weapons are surprising and unexpected within many contexts in which they appear.