NCJ Number
187749
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2001 Pages: 59-68
Date Published
February 2001
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examines the relationship between interview characteristics and accuracy of recall in young children.
Abstract
Interview characteristics included preinterview instructions and level of questioning. Fifty-six children ranging in age from 3- to 6-years-old participated in a Circus Day event and were interviewed 10 days later. Following either instructions or filler questions, children were questioned about the event. Based on several individual difference factors, young children varied significantly in the accuracy of their recall and their ability to resist misleading questions. However, individual differences did not mediate children's ability to benefit from different question types or preinterview instructions. As a whole, children provided limited information to the most open-ended questions and more correct information to highly structured questions. In contrast to the research with older children, younger children did not benefit from preinterview instructions. The study recommends continued research on interview characteristics that could facilitate accurate recall and resistance to misleading questions in preschoolers. If successful strategies are identified, research should then attempt to determine whether individual differences might mediate the success of those strategies. Tables, references