NCJ Number
190149
Journal
Law and Human Behavior Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 269-298
Date Published
June 2001
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This study examined children's eyewitness memory as a function of whether or not they experienced maltreatment.
Abstract
A matched sample of abused and nonabused 3-year-old to 10-year-old children (n=70) participated in a play session with an unfamilar adult and were interviewed about the interaction 2 weeks later. Consistent with results from previous research, older children, compared to younger children, provided more complete and accurate reports. Abused and nonabused children performed similarly, but with several exceptions. Nonabused children were more current in answering specific questions, made fewer errors in identifying the unfamiliar adult in a photo identification task, and (at least for younger boys) freely recalled more information. Most effects remained when group differences in IQ and behavioral symptoms were statistically controlled. Significantly, abused and nonabused children did not differ in their accuracy or suggestibility in response to questions that were relevant to abusive actions. Among abused children, however, those who suffered more severe sexual abuse made more omission errors to specific abuse-relevant questions. Contributions to psychological theory and legal implications for understanding children's eyewitness memory and testimony are discussed. 5 tables, appended memory interview questions, and 95 references