Adults’ Abilities to Discern Children’s True and False Memories

57 Pages Posted: 5 Aug 2009

See all articles by Gail S. Goodman

Gail S. Goodman

University of California, Davis

Stephanie D. Block

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Daisy A. Segovia

University of California, Davis

Jennifer M. Schaaf

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill

Kristen Weede Alexander

California State University, Sacramento

Donna Shestowsky

University of California, Davis - School of Law; University of California, Davis - School of Law

Date Written: August 4, 2009

Abstract

Adults’ evaluations of children’s eyewitness reports can determine whether legal proceedings are undertaken and whether they ultimately lead to justice. The current study involved 92 undergraduates and 35 adult laypersons who viewed and evaluated videotaped interviews with children. The children’s reports fell into the following categories based on a 2 (event type: true vs. false) X 2 (child report: assent vs. denial) factorial design: Accurate reports, false reports, accurate denials, or false denials. Results revealed that adults were generally better able to correctly judge accurate reports and accurate denials compared to false reports and false denials. Of interest, adults’ ratings of false denials indicated that the adults were, on average, “confident” that the event had not occurred, even though the event had in fact been experienced. Adults’ ratings of false reports were more accurate: Adults were, on average, “somewhat confident” the event had not happened. These results underscore the greater difficulty adults had in evaluating false denials compared to other types of reports. Individual-difference factors (e.g., participants’ age) predicted performance. Implications for legal procedures are discussed.

Keywords: law and psychology, court procedure; witnesses, decision-making

JEL Classification: K41

Suggested Citation

Goodman, Gail S. and Block, Stephanie D. and Segovia, Daisy A. and Schaaf, Jennifer M. and Alexander, Kristen Weede and Shestowsky, Donna and Shestowsky, Donna, Adults’ Abilities to Discern Children’s True and False Memories (August 4, 2009). CELS 2009 4th Annual Conference on Empirical Legal Studies Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1443616 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1443616

Gail S. Goodman

University of California, Davis ( email )

One Shields Avenue
Apt 153
Davis, CA 95616
United States

Stephanie D. Block

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Daisy A. Segovia

University of California, Davis ( email )

One Shields Avenue
Apt 153
Davis, CA 95616
United States

Jennifer M. Schaaf

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill ( email )

102 Ridge Road
Chapel Hill, NC NC 27514
United States

Kristen Weede Alexander

California State University, Sacramento ( email )

6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819-6082
United States

Donna Shestowsky (Contact Author)

University of California, Davis - School of Law ( email )

Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall
Davis, CA CA 95616-5201
United States

University of California, Davis - School of Law ( email )

Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall
Davis, CA CA 95616-5201
United States

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