Shapiro,
L.R., Blackford, C., & Chen, C. (2005). Eyewitness memory for a simulated misdemeanor crime:
the role of age
and temperament in suggestability. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 19, 267-289.
This study is meant to test
eyewitness reliability in the face of misleading questions and time delayed
interviews with regards to age differences and temperament variations. When misleading questions immediately follow
the event, suggestibility is explained by source confusion; when misleading
questions follow a time delay, suggestibility is attributed to forgetting. There is also evidence to suggest that memory
for central versus peripheral features of the event differs by age and time
delay (peripheral misinformation may occur immediately, whereas central
misinformation requires a time delay).
Individual differences like activity level and emotional intensity may
also have an effect on suggestibility.
This study used groups of 4/5 (exp. 2), 6/7 (exp.1), 9/10 year olds, and
adults and compared a misleading initial questioning to a misleading delayed
interview.
Experiment 1
6/7,
9/10 year olds and adults were asked to watch a video of a bicycle theft. Memory assessment was then performed focusing
on bicycle characteristics, the crime, and the actors’ physical appearances. Participants were asked to free recall the
event and then asked leading questions (what color was the bike?) or misleading
questions (was the bike black?). Some
questions were tag ending questions (the bike was black, wasn’t it) which is
more difficult for young children.
Parents completed a survey measuring the children on activity,
adaptability, approach/withdrawal, emotional intensity, distractibility, and
persistence. Adults completed a
correlating survey. At the first
interview adults and children were either placed in the general or misleading
format. The 7 week delayed interview
consisted of a general format.
Proving
the crime in court requires evidence that the “defendant took the bicycle, that
it belonged to another person, that the defendant did not have permission to
take the bicycle, and that the defendant performed the theft
intentionally.” Information was
categorized as central or peripheral based on these criteria. (Table 1) Responses were coded with a high degree of
inter-rater reliability.
Children and adults had higher rates of open ended recall
for central than peripheral crime information, both higher than appearance
information. The retention interval
decreased total information recalled, and peripheral crime recall in
adults. Initial suggestive group showed
decline in recall for peripheral crime and appearance and central
appearance. For the suggestive group
total recall was higher in interview 1 and lower in interview 2. Information type recall was differentially
affected by the time delay. For 9/10s
high activity correlated with suggestibility, high across interview
suggestibility was found.
Within interview suggestibility was uncommon after
correct recall, recall was better for central than peripheral features;
suggestibility was more likely for peripheral appearance than peripheral crime
or central features.
Experiment 2
Experiment 2 followed the design of experiment 1 except
that 4/5 year olds were included and the misleading format occurred after the
time delay rather than in the initial interview. Again higher recall was found for central
than peripheral features (and crime higher than appearance). (Figure 1) The amount of central crime recall decreased
for the delayed misleading group. Those in
the delayed suggestive group elaborated less than in interview 1 or the control
group. Shy 4/5s exhibited higher rates
of across interview central crime suggestibility. The results of this study supported
experiment 1, but here age differences in suggestibility were found.
Discussion
When
misleading questions immediately follow the crime, suggestibility was highest
for peripheral appearance (least recalled) and lowest for central crime
(highest recalled), however when misleading questions came after a time delay
led to suggestibility in central features.
Younger children showed higher rates of suggestibility than adults, and
temperament effects varied by category.
The research demonstrates how information type plays a role.
Important Legal
Disclaimer: The preceding are articles we read together in the Lampinen Lab Spring 2006 false memory reading group. By
clicking on the button next to the article you can see the summary of that
article. The summary was prepared by the student presenting that article and it
is of course the case that the views expressed in the summary do not
necessarily represent the views of the reading group as a whole, Dr. Lampinen, the Lampinen Lab,
Hugo's, the University of Arkansas, the Razorback Football or Basketball teams
(although we're not sure about cross country), people living down the street
from us, Bob Dylan, Jack Fate, our extended families, or anyone else for that
matter except for the student who wrote the summary (and they don't necessarily
believe what they wrote either).