THE RELATIONSHIP OF CONFABULATION TO THE MEMORY, INTELLIGENCE, SUGGESTIBILITY, AND PERSONALITY OF JUVENILE-OFFENDERS

In this study the authors investigate the relationship of confabulatio n to memory, intelligence, suggestibility, compliance, and personality as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Gough So cialisation Scale. The subjects were 108 Icelandic juvenile offenders. Confabulation was measured from the narrative of the Gudjonsson Sugge stibility Scale (GSS 1). The two components of confabulation - distort ions and fabrications - were not significantly correlated. Furthermore , confabulation correlated very poorly with the other psychological va riables. The only significant findings were a negative relationship of distortions with intelligence as measured with Raven's Standard Progr essive Matrices and a positive correlation between Yield 1 and fabrica tions. The implications of the findings are discussed.