Eyewitness testimony for physical abuse as a function of personal experience, development, and focus of study

Participants from grade school through high school viewed a video-taped inc ident that contained, among other things, a mother striking her child in th e head and the force of the blow sending him to the floor crying. Suggestio ns given before and after were compared in terms of several classes of depe ndent variables. Previous experience with this type of abuse viewed was als o studied. A consistent pattern of results emerged, and several conclusions were offered on the boundary conditions for when and how different types o f suggestions can enter testimony, when different developmental effects are observed, what types of tests produce the most testimony with the fewest c onfabulations, and when and how personal experience with the viewed abuse e nter into testimonies. It was concluded that clear answers to fundamental q uestions can be found when Participant x Memory Procedures x Focus of Study Interactions are systematically explored.