EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL SOURCES OF VARIATION IN THE CREATION OF FALSE REPORTS IN CHILDREN

In this article, we describe several ''families'' of variables that ma y account for reliable variation in children's suggestibility. Specifi cally, we begin by discussing factors that are external to the organis m (e.g., various forms of biased interviewing such as visualization in ductions, accusatory tone, repeated yes/no questioning) that could exp lain why at any age studied, large suggestibility effects are produced in some situations but not in others. Following this, we discuss rese arch on factors that are internal to the organism that may be at the s ource of individual differences in suggestibility-proneness (e.g., IQ memory strength, relevant content knowledge). We conclude by postulati ng a framework in which multiple and complex interactions among cognit ive, social, personality, and biological factors converge to make some children and some situations more or less suggestible than others.