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Addressing the Negative Effect of Cross-Examination Questioning on Children’s Accuracy: Can We Intervene?

Addressing the Negative Effect of Cross-Examination Questioning on Children’s Accuracy: Can We... This study investigated whether preinterview interventions could help to facilitate children’s accuracy under cross-examination-style questioning. Five- and 6-year-olds (n = 77; mean [SD] age = 5.84 [0.48] years; 57% boys) and 9- and 10-year-olds (n = 87; mean [SD] age = 10.30 [0.54] years; 56% boys) took part in a staged event and were then interviewed with analogues of direct examination and cross-examination. In a pilot study, we ascertained that a brief verbal warning about the nature of cross-examination—given immediately prior to the cross-examination interview—did not influence children’s cross-examination accuracy, regardless of whether it was delivered by an unfamiliar interviewer or the cross-examining interviewer. In the main experiment, some children participated in a brief intervention involving practice and feedback with cross-examination questions. Relative to control children, those who underwent this preparation intervention made fewer changes to their direct-examination responses under cross-examination, changed a smaller proportion of their correct responses, and obtained higher ultimate accuracy levels. These findings provide some support for the notion that pretrial interventions, if sufficiently comprehensive, could help children to maintain accuracy during cross-examination. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Law and Human Behavior American Psychological Association

Addressing the Negative Effect of Cross-Examination Questioning on Children’s Accuracy: Can We Intervene?

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References (52)

Publisher
American Psychological Association
Copyright
© 2013 American Psychological Association
ISSN
0147-7307
eISSN
1573-661X
DOI
10.1037/lhb0000042
pmid
24079847
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This study investigated whether preinterview interventions could help to facilitate children’s accuracy under cross-examination-style questioning. Five- and 6-year-olds (n = 77; mean [SD] age = 5.84 [0.48] years; 57% boys) and 9- and 10-year-olds (n = 87; mean [SD] age = 10.30 [0.54] years; 56% boys) took part in a staged event and were then interviewed with analogues of direct examination and cross-examination. In a pilot study, we ascertained that a brief verbal warning about the nature of cross-examination—given immediately prior to the cross-examination interview—did not influence children’s cross-examination accuracy, regardless of whether it was delivered by an unfamiliar interviewer or the cross-examining interviewer. In the main experiment, some children participated in a brief intervention involving practice and feedback with cross-examination questions. Relative to control children, those who underwent this preparation intervention made fewer changes to their direct-examination responses under cross-examination, changed a smaller proportion of their correct responses, and obtained higher ultimate accuracy levels. These findings provide some support for the notion that pretrial interventions, if sufficiently comprehensive, could help children to maintain accuracy during cross-examination.

Journal

Law and Human BehaviorAmerican Psychological Association

Published: Oct 1, 2013

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