Pickel, K.L. (1998). Unusualness and threat as possible causes of "weapon focus." Memory, 6, 277-295.

The weapon focus effect is one in which the presence of a weapon decreases a witnesses' ability to remember details about the event.

But, why does this effect occur? Possible theories: 1) witnesses are simply attending to the weapon and ignoring the other details of the scene. (this theory supported by such people as Loftus and Kramer). 2) Witnesses are attending to all details equally, but demonstrate better memory for the weapon when tested later possibly because this memory remains strong or because other details have deteriorated more quickly. 3) The cue-utilization hypothesis (Easterbrook, 1959). This theory basically says that the weapon indicates a threat, which increases arousal, which makes the witness focus on the weapon. 4) the unusualness of the weapon is what causes weapon focus.

To test explanations 3 and 4: threat and unusualness.

Participants watched a two-minute video consisting of a scene from a hair salon. A man walks to the receptionist and she hands him money. Conditions depended on what the man held in his hand: nothing (control); scissors (high threat, low unusualness); handgun (high threat, high unusualness); wallet (low threat, low unusualness); raw chicken (low threat, high unusualness). Then, they did a 10-minute filler. Then, filled out a questionnaire. The first part focused on the receptionist who was seen as a control since she was viewed before the man walked in. The second section covered the man (target). They were also asked what he was actually doing. Then, the participants were asked to identify the target from a line-up.

No main effect of threat.

Main effect of unusualness.

Weapon focus only shown in descriptions not in the line-up ids.

Purpose is to replicate the first experiment using a new scenario.

Pretty much the same as Experiment 1 except that the video watched is of a repair shop in which the male target approaches the receptionist, speaks to her, receives some money, and then drives away. The objects that the target carried were the following: screwdriver (high threat, low unusualness); butcher knife (high threat, high unusualness); sunglasses (low and low); Pillsbury dough boy (low and high unusualness).

Same as Experiment 1 with one exception: the low low item (the sunglasses) was often not remembered at all. In the First Experiment, the comparable item (wallet) was usually not identified, but reported as being something.

These results support the contention that it is not the threat of the object that creates the " weapon focus" effect, but rather the unusualness of the object that attracts the attention. Authors suggest that this is not unique to weapons, but any unusual object.