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Otgaar H, Riesthuis P, Ramaekers JG, Garry M, Kloft L. The importance of the smallest effect size of interest in expert witness testimony on alcohol and memory. Front Psychol 2022; 13:980533. [PMID: 36544435 PMCID: PMC9760759 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory experts are sometimes asked to evaluate the validity of accounts of witnesses, victims, or suspects. In some of these cases, they are asked what effect alcohol has on the validity of such accounts. In this article, we offer a guide on what expert witnesses can reliably say about how alcohol affects memory. We do so by resorting to effect sizes from previous studies and meta-analytic work, and address this novel question: Are these effect sizes meaningful in legal cases? More specifically, we argue that any determination of whether individual studies about alcohol and memory are practically relevant for legal cases, scientists must focus on the smallest effect size of interest. We make the case that a decrease or increase of only 1 detail, especially an incorrect detail, should be regarded as the smallest effect size of interest in this line of research. In line with this idea, we show that effect sizes in the alcohol and memory literature are often larger than this smallest effect size of interest. This finding is important because it implies that alcohol often exerts a practically relevant and meaningful detrimental effect on the reporting of both correct and incorrect details, which in turn negatively affects the validity of witness testimony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Otgaar
- Faculty of Law and Criminology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Henry Otgaar, ;
| | - Paul Riesthuis
- Faculty of Law and Criminology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Johannes G. Ramaekers
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Maryanne Garry
- School of Psychology, The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Lilian Kloft
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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2
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Domagalski K, Gongola J, Lyon TD, Clark SE, Quas JA. Detecting children's true and false denials of wrongdoing: Effects of question type and base rate knowledge. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2020; 38:612-629. [PMID: 33236788 PMCID: PMC7913390 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
One common and unfortunately overlooked obstacle to the detection of sexual abuse is non-disclosure by children. Non-disclosure in forensic interviews may be expressed via concealment in response to recall questions or via active denials in response to recognition (e.g., yes/no) questions. In two studies, we evaluated whether adults' ability to discern true and false denials of wrongdoing by children varied as a function of the types of interview question the children were asked. Results suggest that adults are not good at detecting deceptive denials of wrongdoing by children, even when the adults view children narrate their experiences in response to recall questions rather than provide one word answers to recognition questions. In Study 1, adults exhibited a consistent "truth bias," leading them toward believing children, regardless of whether the children's denials were true or false. In Study 2, adults were given base-rate information about the occurrence of true and false denials (50% of each). The information eliminated the adults' truth bias but did not improve their overall detection accuracy, which still hovered near chance. Adults did, however, perceive children's denials as slightly more credible when they emerged in response to recall rather than recognition questions, especially when children were honestly denying wrongdoing. Results suggest the need for caution when evaluating adults' judgments of children's veracity when the children fail to disclose abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas D Lyon
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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3
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Szojka ZA, Nicol A, La Rooy D. Narrative coherence in multiple forensic interviews with child witnesses alleging physical and sexual abuse. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David La Rooy
- School of Law, Royal HollowayUniversity of London London UK
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4
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Baker‐Ward L, Tyler CS, Coffman JL, Merritt KA, Ornstein PA. Children's expectations and episodic reports over 12 weeks: Influences on memory for a specially designed pediatric examination. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Baker‐Ward
- Department of PsychologyNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina
| | - Caroline Staneck Tyler
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina
| | - Jennifer L. Coffman
- Human Development and Family StudiesUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro North Carolina
| | | | - Peter A. Ornstein
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina
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5
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How children talk about events: Implications for eliciting and analyzing eyewitness reports. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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6
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Henry LA, Crane L, Nash G, Hobson Z, Kirke-Smith M, Wilcock R. Verbal, Visual, and Intermediary Support for Child Witnesses with Autism During Investigative Interviews. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:2348-2362. [PMID: 28502038 PMCID: PMC5509826 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3142-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Three promising investigative interview interventions were assessed in 270 children (age 6-11 years): 71 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 199 who were typically developing (TD). Children received 'Verbal Labels', 'Sketch Reinstatement of Context' or 'Registered Intermediary' interviews designed to improve interview performance without decreasing accuracy. Children with ASD showed no increases in the number of correct details recalled for any of the three interview types (compared to a Best-Practice police interview), whereas TD children showed significant improvements in the Registered Intermediary and Verbal Labels interviews. Findings suggested that children with ASD can perform as well as TD children in certain types of investigative interviews, but some expected benefits (e.g., of Registered Intermediaries) were not apparent in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Henry
- Division and Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, 10 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK.
| | - Laura Crane
- Division and Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, 10 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK
- Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gilly Nash
- Division and Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, 10 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
| | - Zoe Hobson
- Division and Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, 10 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
- Metropolitan Police Service, London, UK
| | - Mimi Kirke-Smith
- Division and Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, 10 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
- West Heath School, Ashgrove Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, UK
| | - Rachel Wilcock
- Department of Psychology, University of Winchester, Winchester, SO22 4NR, UK
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7
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The Basic Empathy Scale adapted to French middle childhood: Structure and development of empathy. Behav Res Methods 2017; 48:1410-1420. [PMID: 26424437 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-015-0650-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We adapted the adult French version of the Basic Empathy Scale to French children aged 6-11 years, in order to probe the factorial structure underlying empathy. A total of 410 children (189 girls and 221 boys) were instructed to fill out the resulting Basic Empathy Scale in Children (BES-C). Results showed that, as in adulthood, the three-factor model of empathy (i.e., emotional contagion, cognitive empathy, and emotional disconnection) was more relevant than the one- and two-factor ones. This means that as early as 6 years of age, children's responses should reflect the same organization of the three components of empathy as those of adults. In line with the literature, cognitive empathy increased and emotional disconnection decreased in middle childhood, while emotional contagion remained stable. Moreover, girls exhibited greater emotional contagion than boys, with the reverse pattern being observed for emotional disconnection. No sex difference was found regarding cognitive empathy.
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8
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Otgaar H, de Ruiter C, Howe ML, Hoetmer L, van Reekum P. A Case Concerning Children's False Memories of Abuse: Recommendations Regarding Expert Witness Work. PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND LAW : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW 2016; 24:365-378. [PMID: 31983961 PMCID: PMC6818307 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2016.1230924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Expert witnesses can play a major role in legal cases concerning the reliability of statements. Abuse cases frequently contain only the memories of eyewitnesses/victims without the presence of physical evidence. Here, it is of the utmost importance that expert witnesses use scientific evidence for their expert opinion. In this case report, a case is described in which 20 children reported being sexually abused by the same teachers at their elementary school. The investigative steps that were taken by the police and school authorities are reviewed, including how they probably affected memory. In order to provide a sound expert opinion regarding the reliability of these statements, three recommendations are proposed. To reduce the effect of confirmation bias and increase objectivity, it is argued that expert witnesses' reports should contain alternative scenarios, be checked by another expert, and focus on the origin and context of the first statement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Otgaar
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
- City University of London, UK
| | - Corine de Ruiter
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Mark L. Howe
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
- City University of London, UK
| | - Lisanne Hoetmer
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Patricia van Reekum
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
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9
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Cleveland KC, Quas JA, Lyon TD. Valence, Implicated Actor, and Children's Acquiescence to False Suggestions. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 43:1-7. [PMID: 26955204 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although adverse effects of suggestive interviewing on children's accuracy are well documented, it remains unclear as to whether these effects vary depending on the valence of and the actor implicated in suggestions. In this study, 124 3-8-year-olds participated in a classroom activity and were later questioned about positive and negative false details. The interviewer provided positive reinforcement when children acquiesced to suggestions and negative feedback when they did not. Following reinforcement or feedback, young children were comparably suggestible for positive and negative details. With age, resistance to suggestions about negative details emerged first, followed by resistance to suggestions about positive details. Across age, more negative feedback was required to induce acquiescence to negative than positive false details. Finally, children were less willing to acquiesce when they (versus the confederate) were implicated. Findings highlight the interactive effects of valence and children's age on their eyewitness performance in suggestive contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyndra C Cleveland
- , , 4201 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7085 United States
| | - Jodi A Quas
- , , 4328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7085 United States
| | - Thomas D Lyon
- , , University of Southern California, 699 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90089 United States
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10
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Paz-Alonso PM, Goodman GS. Developmental Differences across Middle Childhood in Memory and Suggestibility for Negative and Positive Events. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2016; 34:30-54. [PMID: 27117600 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated age differences in children's eyewitness memory and suggestibility for negative and positive events that children often experience during middle childhood. We first examined 216 ratings by children aged 8-12 years of the frequency and intensity of personal negative and positive experiences (Study 1). Based on those ratings, videotapes depicting the most frequent and intense negative (an accident) and positive (a family excursion) events were developed. A new sample of 227 children aged 8-12 years was tested for recognition memory of the videotapes using the three-stage post-event misinformation procedure (Study 2). Compared with 8- to 9-year-olds, 10- to 12-year-olds exhibited less memory malleability and less compliance with false information. Age improvements in recognition accuracy were also evident for children who watched the negative event, but not for those who watched the positive event. Compliance predicted misinformation effects, particularly in regard to peripheral details. Thus, using ecologically representative emotional events, age differences in suggestibility and memory accuracy emerged, especially for negative events.Theoretical and forensic implications concerning children's eyewitness memory and suggestibility are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gail S Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA
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11
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Peterson C. A Decade Later: Adolescents' Memory for Medical Emergencies. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carole Peterson
- Department of Psychology; Memorial University of Newfoundland; St. John's NL, Canada
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12
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Brackmann N, Otgaar H, Sauerland M, Jelicic M. When Children are the Least Vulnerable to False Memories: A True Report or a Case of Autosuggestion? J Forensic Sci 2015; 61 Suppl 1:S271-5. [PMID: 26249311 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In this case report, a legal case revolving around the reliability of statements given by a 6-year-old girl is described. She claimed to have witnessed her mother being murdered by her father. Two psychological experts provided diametrically opposed opinions about the reliability of her statements. One expert, a clinician, opined that the girl's statements were based on autosuggestion whereas the other expert, a memory researcher, stated that autosuggestion was unlikely to have played a role. This case and the analysis of the experts' opinions illustrate what may happen when experts in court are unaware of the recent literature on (false) memory. That is, recent studies show that autosuggestion is less likely to occur in young children than in older children and adults. The current case stresses the importance and implications of relying on memory experts in cases concerning the reliability of eyewitness statements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Brackmann
- Section Forensic Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henry Otgaar
- Section Forensic Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, City University, London, UK
| | - Melanie Sauerland
- Section Forensic Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Marko Jelicic
- Section Forensic Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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13
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Brown DA, Lewis CN, Lamb ME. Preserving the Past: An Early Interview Improves Delayed Event Memory in Children With Intellectual Disabilities. Child Dev 2015; 86:1031-1047. [PMID: 25876042 PMCID: PMC4654254 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The influence of an early interview on children's (N = 194) later recall of an experienced event was examined in children with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities (CWID; 7–12 years) and typically developing (TD) children matched for chronological (7–12 years) or mental (4–9 years) age. Children previously interviewed were more informative, more accurate, and less suggestible. CWID (mild) recalled as much information as TD mental age matches, and were as accurate as TD chronological age matches. CWID (moderate) recalled less than TD mental age matches but were as accurate. Interviewers should elicit CWID's recall as early as possible and consider developmental level and severity of impairments when evaluating eyewitness testimony.
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14
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Mehrani MB, Peterson C. Recency Tendency: Responses to Forced-Choice Questions. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Carole Peterson
- Department of Psychology; Memorial University of Newfoundland; Canada
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15
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Hobbs SD, Goodman GS, Goodman-Shaver D. Repeated interviews about repeated abuse: evaluation of a case study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2014; 38:212-216. [PMID: 24534612 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
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16
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McWilliams K, Narr R, Goodman GS, Ruiz S, Mendoza M. Children's Memory for Their Mother's Murder: Accuracy, Suggestibility, and Resistance to Suggestion. Memory 2013; 21:591-598. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2013.763983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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17
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Azad A, Leander L. Experts' beliefs about child testimony: Do they match the research or the recommendations? NORDIC PSYCHOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/19012276.2012.768032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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18
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Pansky A, Nemets E. Enhancing the quantity and accuracy of eyewitness memory via initial memory testing. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2011.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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19
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O'Neill S, Zajac R. The role of repeated interviewing in children's responses to cross-examination-style questioning. Br J Psychol 2012; 104:14-38. [PMID: 23320440 DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02096.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The negative effect of cross-examination-style questioning on children's accuracy is likely to be due to the complex and credibility-challenging questions that characterize the interview. Given that cross-examination occurs after at least one prior interview, however, it is equally possible that repeated interviewing per se impairs children's accuracy, and that the questions asked have little bearing on children's responses. To examine this issue, 5- and 6-year-old children (n= 82) and 9- and 10-year-old children (n= 103) took part in a surprise event and were then interviewed using an analogue of direct examination. Either 1 week or 6 months later, half of the children were re-interviewed with an analogue of cross-examination designed to challenge their direct examination responses. Remaining children were re-interviewed with the same questions that were asked during direct examination. Children's accuracy decreased following their second interview, irrespective of age or delay; however, delay particularly impacted younger children's second interview performance. Children's accuracy was most impaired following a cross-examination-style interview. Overall, cross-examination-style questioning appears to be particularly detrimental to obtaining accurate event reports from children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah O'Neill
- Psychology Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, USA.
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20
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Lyon TD, Ahern EC, Scurich N. Interviewing children versus tossing coins: accurately assessing the diagnosticity of children's disclosures of abuse. JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 2012; 21:19-44. [PMID: 22339423 PMCID: PMC3982784 DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2012.642468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We describe a Bayesian approach to evaluating children's abuse disclosures and review research demonstrating that children's disclosure of genital touch can be highly probative of sexual abuse, with the probative value depending on disclosure spontaneity and children's age. We discuss how some commentators understate the probative value of children's disclosures by: confusing the probability of abuse given disclosure with the probability of disclosure given abuse, assuming that children formally questioned about sexual abuse have a low prior probability of sexual abuse, misstating the probative value of abuse disclosure, and confusing the distinction between disclosure and nondisclosure with the distinction between true and false disclosures. We review interviewing methods that increase the probative value of disclosures, including interview instructions, narrative practice, noncontingent reinforcement, and questions about perpetrator/caregiver statements and children's reactions to the alleged abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Lyon
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, 699 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0071, USA.
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21
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Brown D, Pipe ME, Lewis C, Lamb ME, Orbach Y. How Do Body Diagrams Affect the Accuracy and Consistency of Children's Reports of Bodily Touch Across Repeated Interviews? APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.1828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yael Orbach
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Bethesda USA
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22
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Abstract
In real-life situations, eyewitnesses often have control over the level of generality in which they choose to report event information. In the present study, we adopted an early-intervention approach to investigate to what extent eyewitness memory may be inoculated against suggestibility, following two different levels of interpolated reporting: verbatim and gist. After viewing a target event, participants responded to interpolated questions that required reporting of target details at either the verbatim or the gist level. After 48 hr, both groups of participants were misled about half of the target details and were finally tested for verbatim memory of all the details. The findings were consistent with our predictions: Whereas verbatim testing was successful in completely inoculating against suggestibility, gist testing did not reduce it whatsoever. These findings are particularly interesting in light of the comparable testing effects found for these two modes of interpolated testing.
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23
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Brainerd CJ, Holliday RE, Reyna VF, Yang Y, Toglia MP. Developmental reversals in false memory: Effects of emotional valence and arousal. J Exp Child Psychol 2010; 107:137-54. [PMID: 20547393 PMCID: PMC2904859 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2010.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2009] [Revised: 04/27/2010] [Accepted: 04/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Do the emotional valence and arousal of events distort children's memories? Do valence and arousal modulate counterintuitive age increases in false memory? We investigated those questions in children, adolescents, and adults using the Cornell/Cortland Emotion Lists, a word list pool that induces false memories and in which valence and arousal can be manipulated factorially. False memories increased with age for unpresented semantic associates of word lists, and net accuracy (the ratio of true memory to total memory) decreased with age. These surprising developmental trends were more pronounced for negatively valenced materials than for positively valenced materials, they were more pronounced for high-arousal materials than for low-arousal materials, and developmental increases in the effects of arousal were small in comparison with developmental increases in the effects of valence. These findings have ramifications for legal applications of false memory research; materials that share the emotional hallmark of crimes (events that are negatively valenced and arousing) produced the largest age increases in false memory and the largest age declines in net accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Brainerd
- Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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24
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Ghetti S, Lee J. Children's episodic memory. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2010; 2:365-373. [PMID: 26302197 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory develops during childhood and adolescence. This trajectory depends on several underlying processes. In this article, we first discuss the development of the basic binding processes (e.g., the processes by which elements are bound together to form a memory episode) and control processes (e.g., reasoning and metamemory processes) involved in episodic remembering. Then, we discuss the role of these processes in false-memory formation. In the subsequent sections, we examine the neural substrates of the development of episodic memory. Finally, we discuss atypical development of episodic memory. As we proceed through the article, we suggest potential avenues for future research. WIREs Cogni Sci 2011 2 365-373 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.114 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Ghetti
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.,Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Joshua Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.,Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
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25
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Melinder A, Alexander K, Cho YI, Goodman GS, Thoresen C, Lonnum K, Magnussen S. Children's eyewitness memory: a comparison of two interviewing strategies as realized by forensic professionals. J Exp Child Psychol 2009; 105:156-77. [PMID: 19969304 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2009.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2007] [Revised: 04/24/2009] [Accepted: 04/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A critical issue for developmental psychology is how to obtain accurate and complete eyewitness memory reports from preschoolers without offering suggestions that might result in false allegations. We examined effects of two interviewing strategies (police/verbal interviews and clinician/prop-assisted interviews) on young children's reports about a medical examination. A total of 58 4-year-olds participated in the study, which conformed to a 2 (Interview Type)x2 (Number of Interviews) factorial design. Analyses revealed that interviewers spent less time off topic and asked more free recall questions in the police/verbal interviews than in the clinician/prop-assisted interviews. Compared with police/verbal interviews, clinician/prop-assisted interviews resulted in significantly more correct rejections and commission errors in children's memory reports. However, on a final free recall test, error rates were comparable across conditions. Higher child verbal intelligence predicted memory accuracy in police/verbal interviews, and greater parental attachment anxiety predicted children being asked a higher number of misleading questions. The study provides new insights into interview techniques that promote preschoolers' accurate eyewitness reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Melinder
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
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