REDUCING SUGGESTIBILITY IN CHILD WITNESS INTERVIEWS

This study set out to test the prediction that a Cognitive Interview m ay increase resistance to subsequent misleading suggestions in child w itness interviews. The misleading information was presented in the for m of questions both prior to, and after, a cognitive or structured int erview to 8- and 9-year-old witnesses to a video-taped event. Use of t he cognitive interview resulted in more correct responses to post-inte rview questions than did the structured interview even though there wa s not quite a significant effect of the cognitive interview on informa tion recalled during the actual interview. On the basis of their inter view performance, the children were classified as 'intruders' or 'non- intruders' (i.e. those children who intruded pre-interview misleading items into the subsequent interview and those who did not). The 'non-i ntruders' made significantly fewer errors on the post-interview questi ons, indicating lower vulnerability to misleading information. Moreove r, those children who selected the 'don't know' option made fewer erro rs in the interview and were more accurate in their responses. Theoret ical and practical implications of the data are discussed in the conte xt of group differences in vulnerability to suggestion and techniques for increasing resistance to suggestion.