etails. (Migueles 257-60)
             The participants were divided into two groups: intentional and incidental. Both were shown the same film depicting a kidnapping and were given the same recognition tests after the film. The intentional group was asked to pay attention to the content of the film and write a description of its plot after viewing, while the incidental group was asked to estimate the duration of specific events during the film. This distinction was made to test the effects of selective attention on memory since the intentional group would in theory have an advantage in remembering the events of the film. (Migueles 261-62)
             The results of the experiments were very close to the expectations. The intentional group, who were asked to pay attention to the content of the film could recall more events in the film than the incidental group, and participants could remember actions more easily than details. Central actions were the most accurately remembered information, with a mean of 9.8075 events remembered between both groups, central details were the worst, with a mean of 1.985, with peripheral details and actions almost identical with respective means of 6.33 and 5.7725. The researchers decided that the discrepancy in remembering central information was due to the extreme amount of attention paid to central actions because of their highly emotional substance. This displays brilliantly a large problem in eyewitness testimony and identifications. The participants were so focused on the actions of the kidnapping that they were unable to remember the details of the kidnapper's
             appearance and person. The intentiona
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