REDUCING THE POTENTIAL FOR DISTORTION OF CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

In the present research, two studies test the efficacy of an innovativ e procedure designed to reduce distortion and enhance communication of accurate childhood memories. One hundred two 7-year-olds participated in a staged activity and were randomly assigned to one of two treatme nt conditions (Intervention or Control). Two weeks later, half of the children participated in the innovative procedure designed to increase resistance to misleading questions by addressing sociolinguistic and socioemotional factors thought to promote acquiescence to misinformati on. The other half of the children participated in control sessions an d were given motivating instructions to do their best. Then, memory fo r the staged activity was tested in an interview with an unfamiliar au thority figure. The results of both studies suggest that the children who participated in the innovative procedure made significantly fewer errors in response to misleading questions than children in the contro l groups, hence diminishing acquiescence. This was accomplished withou t generating additional errors on the other question types. These find ings are interpreted as a promising first step toward reducing the pot ential for distortion in the recall of childhood memories. Implication s for adult recall of childhood trauma are discussed. (C) 1994 Academi c Press, Inc.