INTERROGATIVE SUGGESTIBILITY IN AN ADOLESCENT FORENSIC POPULATION

Sixty-five juvenile offenders in residential care completed the Gudjon sson Suggestibility Scale (GSS1). Their scores were compared with thos e of 60 adult offenders. The two groups were matched for IQ and memory on the GSS. As predicted, the juveniles gave in significantly more to interrogative pressure (shift), whereas they were no more yielding to leading questions than the adult offenders. The results obtained are similar to those found in previous studies of interrogative suggestibi lity in both delinquent boys and adolescent boys, The study provides f urther confirmation that adolescents are especially vulnerable to inte rrogative pressure as measured by the tendency to change their previou s answers following negative feedback.