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Johnson HM, Block SD, Shestowsky D, Gonzales JE, Shockley KL, Goodman GS. Discernment of Children's True and False Memory Reports: Police Officers and Laypersons. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024; 39:2238-2260. [PMID: 38158733 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231220022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Adults' ability to accurately evaluate children's statements can have far-reaching consequences within the legal system. This study examined the evaluations of police officers ("experts") and laypersons ("nonexperts") when presented with videotaped interviews of children aged 3 and 5 years who provided either true or false reports or denials. Participants were drawn from several counties in the eastern United States. Children's interview statements fell within four statement types: accurate reports, false reports, accurate denials, and false denials. Both groups of participants displayed overbelief in false denials. Several control variables predicted accuracy, including children's age and children's race. A significant interaction emerged: Experts (vs. nonexperts) had greater odds of being accurate when judging false reports (vs. false denials). These findings highlight the challenges adults face when distinguishing between various types of children's statements. The results have important implications for legal contexts, emphasizing that fact finders need to be mindful of the risks associated with both overaccepting false denials and accepting false reports.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kristy L Shockley
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA
- The College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, USA
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2
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Ohigashi S, Sakata C, Kuroshima H, Moriguchi Y. Psychophysiological responses of shame in young children: A thermal imaging study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290966. [PMID: 37812601 PMCID: PMC10561869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Shame can be defined as the emotional response to one's violations of rules being exposed to others. However, it is difficult to objectively measure this concept. This study examined the psychophysiological indicators of shame in young children using behavioral methods and thermography, which measures facial temperatures that reflect blood flow changes related to emotions. Four- to six-year-old children participated in an "animal guessing game," in which they lied about having violated a rule. They were assigned to either the exposure or the non-exposure group. In the exposure group, participants' lies were exposed by the experimenter, whereas in the non-exposure group, their lies were not. Results showed that at the behavioral level, participants in the exposure group expressed characteristic behaviors of shame (e.g., embarrassed smiles) more often than those in the non-exposure group. Moreover, the nasal temperatures of participants in the exposure group were higher than those of participants in the other group after the lie was exposed. These results suggest that participants' lies being exposed induced psychophysiological responses and consequently raised their nasal temperature. This finding indicates that psychophysiological responses can enable us to objectively measure higher-order emotions in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Ohigashi
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonmachi, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Chifumi Sakata
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonmachi, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hika Kuroshima
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonmachi, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yusuke Moriguchi
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonmachi, Kyoto, Japan
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3
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Default settings affect children's decisions about whether to be honest. Cognition 2023; 235:105390. [PMID: 36764049 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral economics research has revealed that our decision-making can be biased by default settings. That is, all other things being equal, adults tend to choose default options even when the effort involved in choosing other options is minimal. Extensive evidence shows that default settings can systematically influence adult decisions in a wide variety of domains (e.g., pension choices, organ donation), but little is known about their developmental origin. Of interest in the present research is whether default settings can influence young children's decisions about whether to be honest. We investigated this question in two studies of 5- and 6-year-old Chinese children (total N = 120; 60 girls; Mage = 5.81, SDage = 0.14). Each study used a specially designed device that allowed children to play a guessing game in either a Cheating Default condition in which they would cheat by doing nothing or in an Honesty Default condition in which they would be honest by doing nothing. In each condition, they had the option of taking a trivially easy action to override the default (pushing a button in Study 1 or moving a screen in Study 2). In both studies, children decided to cheat significantly more often in the Cheating Default condition than in the Honesty Default condition. Additionally, overall cheating rates were significantly higher in Study 2 than in Study 1 (55% vs. 25%), which suggests that even though the default setting effect generalized across different actions, the specific action in question can also affect the cheating rate. Taken together, these results indicate that default setting effects that have been observed in adults have origins in childhood, and they point toward new ways to use nudges to promote positive social development and moral decision-making.
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Henderson HM, Lundon GM, Lyon TD. Suppositional Wh-Questions About Perceptions, Conversations, and actions are More Productive than Paired Yes-No Questions when Questioning Maltreated Children. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2023; 28:55-65. [PMID: 35025692 PMCID: PMC10914390 DOI: 10.1177/10775595211067208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Forensic interviewers are taught to pair yes-no questions with open-ended requests for recall in order to reduce the likelihood that they will be misled by false "yes" responses. However, yes-no questions may elicit false "no" responses. Questioning 112 6- to 11-year-old maltreated children about three innocuous events (outside activities, yesterday, last birthday), this study compared the productivity of paired yes-no questions about perceptions, conversations, and actions involving the hands and mouth (e.g., "Did you say anything?") with wh-questions (e.g., "What did you say?"). The wh-questions presupposed that children had content to provide, but did not specify that content. Children were twice as likely to deny content and half as likely to provide novel information when interviewers asked them yes-no questions. Younger children were more inclined than older children to deny content and give unelaborated "yes" responses. The results support further research into the potential for suppositional wh-questions to increase child witnesses' productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas D Lyon
- 5116University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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5
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Testoni I, Viezzoli D, Biancalani G, Armezzani M, Zamperini A. Competent Witnesses: How Penitentiary Workers Explain the Violence in Italian Prisons during the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13717. [PMID: 36360597 PMCID: PMC9655015 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, in the Italian prison of Santa Maria Capua Vetere (SMCV), prison police repressed a riot with extreme violence, bringing the state of prisons and the conditions of prisoners back to the attention of the Italian public opinion. OBJECTIVE This exploratory study aimed to collect the experiences and the competent opinions of the social and health personnel of Italian prisons regarding the episode of violence that happened in SMCV; the general state of health of the Italian prison system was explored, too, together with the collection of proposals for interventions aimed at the eradication of violence in prison. METHOD The study employed a qualitative research design. Eighteen social-health workers from 12 Italian prisons were interviewed using in-depth interviews of ~60 min each that were conducted and recorded via Skype video calls. The interview transcripts were analyzed with qualitative reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) to identify the most relevant and recursive themes. RESULTS Four themes were identified: (1) reactions and thoughts about the events of SMCV; (2) structural problems of Italian prison police; (3) Italian prison system; and (4) reform proposals. CONCLUSIONS A new and deeper awareness of the suffering of the current Italian penitentiary system emerged, together with courageous reform proposals that can restore dignity and centrality to the re-education of the detainees, preventing further future violence.
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Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between children's moral standards and their antisocial lie telling. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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Foster I, Talwar V, Crossman A. The role of rapport in eliciting children’s truthful reports. APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2022.2058507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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8
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Talwar V, Lavoie J. Lie-telling for personal gain in children with and without externalizing behavior problems. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 219:105385. [PMID: 35217368 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the lie-telling behavior of children who have externalizing problems using experimental procedures. In the current study, children's lie-telling for personal gain (N = 110 boys aged 6-11 years) was examined using an experimental paradigm in relation to their theory-of-mind abilities and inhibitory control as well as their moral evaluations of truths and lies. Children with externalizing behavior problems (n = 53) were significantly more likely to lie and to be less skilled at lying than a typical comparison group (n = 57). Children who had lower theory-of-mind scores were significantly less likely to tell a lie for personal gain compared with those who had higher theory-of-mind scores. Children with externalizing problems who told personal gain lies were also more likely to rate tattle truths more positively than other children. For a subsample of children (n = 55), parent-reported diaries of the frequency of children's lies over 2 weeks revealed a higher frequency of lies by children with externalizing problems compared with the typical comparison group. Children whose parents reported a high frequency of lies for their children were also more likely to lie in the experimental personal gain lie paradigm. Results suggest that children with externalizing behavior may have a different pattern of lie-telling than has been previously reported for normative lie development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2, Canada.
| | - Jennifer Lavoie
- Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 8AQ, UK
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Hayashi H, Mizuta N. Omission bias in children's and adults' moral judgments of lies. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 215:105320. [PMID: 34823045 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study examined whether omission bias occurs in moral judgments of lies. Omission bias is the tendency to judge acts of commission as morally worse than equivalent acts of omission. Children aged 8 and 9 years (third graders) and 11 and 12 years (sixth graders), as well as adults, made moral judgments about lies of commission and omission to conceal transgressions. Descriptions of four scenarios varied in terms of whether the protagonists lied to benefit themselves or others and whether the transgression was deliberate or accidental. The results showed that both age groups of children, as well as adults, judged that lies of commission were morally worse than lies of omission in all four scenarios, indicating that omission bias clearly occurs in moral judgments of lies. However, there were age differences in the magnitude of omission bias. Third and sixth graders generally showed omission bias of the same magnitude for all scenarios, whereas omission bias in adults was stronger for the scenarios that benefited self rather than others and for scenarios in which deliberate transgressions, rather than accidental ones, were concealed. These results reveal differences in moral judgments of lies between middle childhood and adulthood.
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Wang Y, Hong S, Pei M, Wang X, Su Y. Emotion matters in early polite lies: Preschoolers’ polite lie‐telling in relation to cognitive and emotion‐related abilities. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
| | - Skylar Hong
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
| | - Meng Pei
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
| | - Xiaonan Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
| | - Yanjie Su
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
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11
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Gongola J, Williams S, Lyon TD. Children's
under‐informative
responding is associated with concealment of a transgression. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Gongola
- Gould School of Law University of Southern California Los Angeles California USA
| | - Shanna Williams
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Thomas D. Lyon
- Gould School of Law University of Southern California Los Angeles California USA
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12
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Henderson HM, Cho SJ, Nogalska AM, Lyon TD. Identifying novel forms of reluctance in commercially sexually exploited adolescents. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 115:104994. [PMID: 33640734 PMCID: PMC8026589 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.104994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research has largely overlooked expressions of reluctance in commercially sexually exploited adolescent ("CSEA") victims. This is problematic because gaining information from known victims is of the utmost importance in order to better serve the needs of current and potential future victims. OBJECTIVE The current study proposes a novel conceptualization of reluctance based on CSEA victims' transcripts from police interviews and courtroom examinations. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING The study examined police interviews (n = 8 victims, 1558 utterances) and courtroom transcripts (n = 6 victims, 1961 utterances) conducted with female CSEA victims aged 15-17 years old (Mage = 16.29). The victims were associated with the same trafficker and were thus interviewed by the same group of police officers, and for those who testified, were questioned by the same lawyers in court. RESULTS Sixteen reluctance tactics were identified, including several that have been overlooked in previous literature. The current reluctance measure identified more reluctance than previous studies' reluctance measures. Reluctance was much more common in police interviews (26.4%; p < .001) than in court (5.5%), and if victims were more reluctant in the police interviews, they were less likely to appear in court (p = .001). CONCLUSIONS These findings have implications for future conceptualizations of reluctance, and illustrate the importance of considering the age of the victim and the circumstances under which the victim is questioned in identifying reluctance.
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Powell MB, Brubacher SP. The origin, experimental basis, and application of the standard interview method: An information‐gathering framework. AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ap.12468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martine B. Powell
- Centre for Investigative Interviewing, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia,
| | - Sonja P. Brubacher
- Centre for Investigative Interviewing, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia,
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14
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Hayashi H. Do 5- and 6-Year-Old Children Attempt to Appear Fair to Others? The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2020; 181:150-158. [PMID: 32202221 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2020.1738321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Children come to prefer fair distributions at the age of 5 to 6 years. But do they actually want to be fair, or do they want to appear fair to others? In three conditions, an experimenter initially distributed chocolates to 5-/6-year-old participants and partners they were paired with. Participants always possessed, through some means, two chocolates when the experimenter returned after a brief absence, and they had to decide whether to take an extra one for themselves. To measure the extent to which children were concerned with actually being fair versus appearing fair, two conditions were created in which children were led to believe that the experimenter did not know that the distributions had become equal. In the windfall condition, a confederate gave one additional chocolate to the participant, and in the partner condition, the partner transferred one chocolate to the participant. Compared to the control condition, participants who passed the false belief task in both of these conditions tried to appear fair in their distribution. Thus 5-/6-year-old children seem to prefer appearing fair to others regardless of the situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajimu Hayashi
- Division of Developmental Psychology, Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
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15
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Williams S, McWilliams K, Lyon T. Children's concealment of a minor transgression: The role of age, maltreatment, and executive functioning. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 191:104664. [PMID: 31785549 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the role of age, maltreatment status, and executive functioning on 752 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and nonmaltreated children's recall disclosure of a transgression in which the children appeared to have broken toys while playing with a stranger. Interviewers used narrative practice rapport building and then questioned children with free recall and cued recall questions. Younger and maltreated children were more likely to disclose during rapport building, whereas older and nonmaltreated children were more likely to disclose in response to recall questions. Working memory deficits appeared to mediate the relation between children's characteristics and disclosure during rapport but not during recall. The results demonstrate that how children are questioned affects the relations between deception and age, maltreatment, and executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanna Williams
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Kelly McWilliams
- Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Thomas Lyon
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Engarhos P, Shohoudi A, Crossman A, Talwar V. Learning through observing: Effects of modeling truth- and lie-telling on children's honesty. Dev Sci 2019; 23:e12883. [PMID: 31254425 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The current study examined the influence of observing another's lie- or truth-telling - and its consequences - on children's own honesty about a transgression. Children (N = 224, 5-8 years of age) observed an experimenter (E) tell the truth or lie about a minor transgression in one of five conditions: (a) Truth-Positive Outcome - E told the truth with a positive outcome; (b) Truth-Negative Outcome - E told the truth with a negative outcome; (c) Lie-Positive Outcome - E lied with a positive outcome; (d) Lie-Negative Outcome - E lied with a negative outcome; (e) Control - E did not tell a lie or tell the truth. Later, to examine children's truth- or lie-telling behavior, children participated in a temptation resistance paradigm where they were told not to peek at a trivia question answer. They either peeked or not, and subsequently lied or told the truth about that behavior. Additionally, children were asked to give moral evaluations of different truth- and lie-telling vignettes. Overall, 85% of children lied. Children were less likely to lie about their own transgression in the TRP when they had previously witnessed the experimenter tell the truth with a positive outcome or tell a lie with a negative outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Engarhos
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Azadeh Shohoudi
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Angela Crossman
- Department of Psychology, John Jay College, The City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Talwar V, Lavoie J, Crossman AM. Carving Pinocchio: Longitudinal examination of children’s lying for different goals. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 181:34-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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O'Connor AM, Lyon TD, Evans AD. Younger and Older Adults' Lie-Detection and Credibility Judgments of Children's Coached Reports. PSYCHOLOGY, CRIME & LAW : PC & L 2019; 25:925-944. [PMID: 31988596 PMCID: PMC6984756 DOI: 10.1080/1068316x.2019.1597092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has examined young and middle-aged adults' perceptions of child witnesses; however, no research to date has examined how potential older adult jurors may perceive a child witness. The present investigation examined younger (18-30 years, N = 100) and older adults' (66-89 years, N = 100) lie-detection and credibility judgments when viewing children's truthful and dishonest reports. Participants viewed eight child interview videos where children (9 to 11 years of age) either provided a truthful report or a coached fabricated report to conceal a transgression. Participants provided lie-detection judgments following all eight videos and credibility assessments following the first two videos. Participants completed a General Lifespan Credibility questionnaire to assess credibility evaluations across various witness ages. Lie-detection results indicated that older adults had significantly lower discrimination scores, a stronger truth bias, and greater confidence compared to younger adults. Older adults also rated children as more competent to testify in court, credible, honest, believable, and likeable than younger adults. Participants with greater differences in their credibility evaluations for truth and lie-tellers were significantly more accurate at detecting lies. Responses to the Lifespan Credibility questionnaire revealed significant differences in younger and older adults' credibility evaluations across the lifespan.
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Wyman J, Foster I, Crossman A, Colwell K, Talwar V. The efficacy of free-recall, cognitive load, and closed-ended questions when children are asked to falsely testify about a crime. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Wyman
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Ida Foster
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Angela Crossman
- Department of Psychology; John Jay College of Criminal Justice; New York City New York USA
| | - Kevin Colwell
- Department of Psychology; Southern Connecticut State University; New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
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Foster I, Wyman J, Tong D, Colwell K, Talwar V. Does eyewitness and interviewer gender influence children's reports? An experimental analysis of eyewitness and interviewer gender on children's testimony. PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND LAW : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW 2018; 26:499-519. [PMID: 31984092 PMCID: PMC6762099 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2018.1507844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study examines how children's age, gender and interviewer gender affected children's testimony after witnessing a theft. Children (N = 127, age = 6-11 years) witnessed an experimenter (E1) find money, which he/she may/may not have taken. E1 then asked the children to falsely deny that the theft occurred, falsely accuse E1 of taking the money, or tell the truth when interviewed by a second experimenter. Falsely denying or falsely accusing influenced children's forthcomingness and quality of their testimony. When accusing, boys were significantly more willing than girls to disclose about the theft earlier and without being asked directly. When truthfully accusing, children gave lengthier testimony to same-gendered adults. When denying, children were significantly more willing to disclose the theft earlier to male interviewers than to females. As children aged, they were significantly less likely to lie, more likely to disclose earlier when accusing, and give lengthier and more consistent testimony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Foster
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Joshua Wyman
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Donia Tong
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Colwell
- Department of Psychology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Şen HH, Küntay AC. Nonverbal Markers of Lying During Children’s Collective Interviewing with Friends. JOURNAL OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10919-018-0287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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22
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Malloy LC, Mugno AP, Waschbusch DA, Pelham WE, Talwar V. Parents’ Attitudes about and Socialization of Honesty and Dishonesty in Typically-Developing Children and Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 47:299-312. [DOI: 10.1007/s10802-018-0444-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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O'Rourke S, Eskritt M, Bosacki S. Communication, compassion, and computers: Adolescents' and adults' evaluations of online and face-to-face deception. J Adolesc 2018; 65:133-140. [PMID: 29597102 DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We explored Canadian adolescents', emergent adults', and adults' understandings of deception in computer mediated communication (CMC) compared to face to face (FtF). Participants between 13 and 50 years read vignettes of different types of questionable behaviour that occurred online or in real life, and were asked to judge whether deception was involved, and the acceptability of the behaviour. Age groups evaluated deception similarly; however, adolescents held slightly different views from adults about what constitutes deception, suggesting that the understanding of deception continues to develop into adulthood. Furthermore, CMC behaviour was rated as more deceptive than FtF in general, and participants scoring higher on compassion perceived vignettes to be more deceptive. This study is a step towards better understanding the relationships between perceptions of deception across adolescence into adulthood, mode of communication, and compassion, and may have implications for how adults communicate with youth about deception in CMC and FtF contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean O'Rourke
- Faculty of Education, Mount Saint Vincent University, 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, NS, B3M 2J6, Canada
| | - Michelle Eskritt
- Department of Psychology, Mount Saint Vincent University, 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, NS, B3M 2J6, Canada.
| | - Sandra Bosacki
- Faculty of Education, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
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Talwar V, Hubbard K, Saykaly C, Lee K, Lindsay RCL, Bala N. Does parental coaching affect children's false reports? Comparing verbal markers of deception. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2018; 36:84-97. [PMID: 29460438 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The present study examined differences in children's true and false narratives as a function of parental coaching by comparing the verbal markers associated with deception. Children (N = 65, 4-7 years old) played the same game with an adult stranger over three consecutive days. Parents coached their children to falsely allege that they had played a second game and to generate details for the fabricated event. One week after the last play session, children were interviewed about their experiences. For children with the least amount of parental coaching, true and false reports could be distinguished by multiple verbal markers of deception (e.g., cognitive processes, temporal information, self-references). The fabricated reports of children who spent more time being coaching by a parent resembled their truthful reports. These findings have implications for real-world forensic contexts when children have been coached to make false allegations and fabricate information at the behest of a parent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kyle Hubbard
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Christine Saykaly
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kang Lee
- Dr Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study and Applied Psychology and Human Development Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - R C L Lindsay
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
| | - Nicholas Bala
- Faculty of Law, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
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25
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Mugno AP, Malloy LC, Waschbusch DA, Pelham Jr. WE, Talwar V. An Experimental Investigation of Antisocial Lie‐Telling Among Children With Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Typically Developing Children. Child Dev 2017; 90:774-789. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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26
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Klemfuss JZ, Cleveland KC, Quas JA, Lyon TD. Relations between Attorney Temporal Structure and Children's Response Productivity in Cases of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse. LEGAL AND CRIMINOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 22:228-241. [PMID: 29062265 PMCID: PMC5650203 DOI: 10.1111/lcrp.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Previous research has demonstrated that attorney question format relates to child witness' response productivity. However, little work has examined the relations between the extent to which attorneys provide temporal structure in their questions, and the effects of this structure on children's responding. The purpose of the present study was to address this gap in the literature in order to identify methods by which attorneys increase children's response productivity on the stand without risking objections from opposing counsel for "calling for narrative answers". METHODS In the present study we coded criminal court transcripts involving child witnesses (5-18 years) for narrative structure in attorney questions and productivity in children's responses. Half of the transcripts resulted in convictions, half in acquittals, balanced across key variables: child age, allegation severity, the child's relationship to the perpetrator, and the number of allegations. RESULTS Prosecutors and defense attorneys varied substantially in their questioning tactics. Prosecutors used more temporal structure in their questions and varied their questioning by the age of the child. These variations had implications for children's response productivity. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that temporal structure is a novel and viable method for enhancing children's production of case-relevant details on the witness stand.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Zoe Klemfuss
- Florida International University; Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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27
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Melkman EP, Hershkowitz I, Zur R. Credibility assessment in child sexual abuse investigations: A descriptive analysis. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2017; 67:76-85. [PMID: 28242369 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge in cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) is determining the credibility of children's reports. Consequently cases may be misclassified as false or deemed 'no judgment possible'. Based on a large national sample of reports of CSA made in Israel in 2014, the study examines child and event characteristics contributing to the probability that reports of abuse would be judged credible. National data files of all children aged 3-14, who were referred for investigation following suspected victimization of sexual abuse, and had disclosed sexual abuse, were analyzed. Cases were classified as either 'credible' or 'no judgment possible'. The probability of reaching a 'credible' judgment was examined in relation to characteristics of the child (age, gender, cognitive delay, marital status of the parents,) and of the abusive event (abuse severity, frequency, perpetrator-victim relationship, perpetrator's use of grooming, and perpetrator's use of coercion), controlling for investigator's identity at the cluster level of the analysis. Of 1563 cases analyzed, 57.9% were assessed as credible. The most powerful predictors of a credible judgment were older age and absence of a cognitive delay. Reports of children to married parents, who experienced a single abusive event that involved perpetrator's use of grooming, were also more likely to be judged as credible. Rates of credible judgments found are lower than expected suggesting under-identification of truthful reports of CSA. In particular, those cases of severe and multiple abuse involving younger and cognitively delayed children are the ones with the lowest chances of being assessed as credible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran P Melkman
- School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | | | - Ronit Zur
- Department of Child Investigations, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel
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28
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Denault V, Jupe LM, Dodier O, Rochat N. To Veil or Not to Veil: Detecting Lies in The Courtroom. A Comment on Leach et al. (2016). PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND LAW : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW 2017; 24:102-117. [PMID: 31983942 PMCID: PMC6818310 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2017.1260619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
For the past 40 years, lie detection has predominantly been studied in the context of police-suspect and investigative interviews. In their paper, Leach et al. (2016) examined whether niqabs or hijabs interfere with the trial judges' ability to detect deception and concluded that veiling enhanced trial judges' ability to make accurate veracity judgments. In this comment, we argue that the conclusions made by Leach et al. are based upon an inaccurate experimental court paradigm and suffer from methodological and analytical issues. It is our opinion that the applicability of their research findings to real-life court proceedings alongside potential changes to court practices and policies based on Leach et al. should be regarded as naïve and misinformed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Denault
- Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Centre d’études en sciences de la communication non verbale, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Olivier Dodier
- Université Blaise Pascal–Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Université Toulouse–Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
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29
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kang Lee
- Dr. Erick Jackman Institute of Child Study; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
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30
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31
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Lawrence H, Akehurst L, Leach AM, Cherryman J, Vrij A, Arathoon M, Vernham Z. ‘Look This Way’: Using Gaze Maintenance to Facilitate the Detection of Children's False Reports. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Lawrence
- University of Portsmouth; Department of Psychology; Portsmouth UK
| | - Lucy Akehurst
- University of Portsmouth; Department of Psychology; Portsmouth UK
| | - Amy-May Leach
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology; Toronto Canada
| | - Julie Cherryman
- University of Portsmouth; Department of Psychology; Portsmouth UK
| | - Aldert Vrij
- University of Portsmouth; Department of Psychology; Portsmouth UK
| | - Megan Arathoon
- University of Portsmouth; Department of Psychology; Portsmouth UK
| | - Zarah Vernham
- University of Portsmouth; Department of Psychology; Portsmouth UK
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Ahern EC, Stolzenberg SN, McWilliams K, Lyon TD. The Effects of Secret Instructions and Yes/no Questions on Maltreated and Non-maltreated Children's Reports of a Minor Transgression. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2016; 34:784-802. [PMID: 28229484 PMCID: PMC6336110 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the effects of secret instructions (distinguishing between good/bad secrets and encouraging disclosure of bad secrets) and yes/no questions (DID: "Did the toy break?" versus DYR: "Do you remember if the toy broke?") on 262 maltreated and non-maltreated children's (age range 4-9 years) reports of a minor transgression. Over two-thirds of children failed to disclose the transgression in response to free recall (invitations and cued invitations). The secret instruction increased disclosures early in free recall, but was not superior to no instruction when combined with cued invitations. Yes/no questions specifically asking about the transgression elicited disclosures from almost half of the children who had not previously disclosed, and false alarms were rare. DYR questions led to ambiguous responding among a substantial percentage of children, particularly younger children. The findings highlight the difficulties of eliciting transgression disclosures without direct questions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kelly McWilliams
- Correspondence to: Dr. Kelly McWilliams, Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, 699 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0071.
| | - Thomas D. Lyon
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Leduc K, Williams S, Gomez-Garibello C, Talwar V. The contributions of mental state understanding and executive functioning to preschool-aged children's lie-telling. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 35:288-302. [DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karissa Leduc
- Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Shanna Williams
- Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | | | - Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
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34
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Hayashi H. Young children’s difficulty with deception in a conflict situation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0165025415607087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined young children’s deception in a conflict situation. A puppet show was prepared involving a protagonist who went into hiding, an enemy who wanted to catch the protagonist, and a friend who was looking for the protagonist. In the no-conflict condition, the enemy asked the children about the location of the protagonist. In the conflict condition, the friend asked the children; however, the enemy was nearby and could eavesdrop. Thus, there was a conflict between deceiving the enemy and telling the truth to the friend. In Experiment 1, the enemy hid behind a tree and was not visible to the friend; 80 children aged 4, 5, and 6 years old participated. In Experiment 2, the enemy was visible to the friend but was disguised; 24 children aged 5 and 6 years old participated. Most 5- and 6-year-olds did not give accurate information to the enemy in the no-conflict condition. However, in the conflict condition, most of the children did not control their behavior and immediately gave accurate information to the friend although the enemy was nearby. Young children from the age of 5 years were able to deceive in the no-conflict situation, but it was difficult for them to deceive in the conflict situation.
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35
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Zajac R, Irvine B, Ingram JM, Jack F. The Diagnostic Value of Children's Responses to Cross-Examination Questioning. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2016; 34:160-177. [PMID: 27117604 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In response to a widespread belief within the legal system that cross-examination is instrumental in uncovering the truth, we examined the effect of cross-examination questioning on the reports of children who had-and had not-been coached to lie. A group of children, aged 6-11 years (N = 65), played three computer games with one of their parents. For half of the pairs, the parents-who acted as confederates-coached their children to make lies of commission concerning the occurrence of two target activities. For the remaining pairs, these two target activities actually occurred, and there was no coaching. Immediately afterwards, children were interviewed about the two activities. Those who-correctly or incorrectly-reported that both activities occurred were retained for the final sample (n = 56); these children were then interviewed again with both neutral questions and cross-examination-style challenges. Neither style of questioning elicited responses that discriminated between liars and truth-tellers: although the accuracy of children who were lying increased in response to cross-examination questions, the accuracy of truth-telling children saw a corresponding decrease. When asked neutral questions, children's responses tended to be consistent with their earlier responses, whether or not those responses were lies. These findings raise important questions about the function that cross-examination might serve in trials involving child witnesses. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Zajac
- Psychology Department, University of Otago, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Fiona Jack
- Psychology Department, University of Otago, New Zealand
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36
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The use of ground rules in investigative interviews with children: A synthesis and call for research. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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37
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Lee K, Talwar V, McCarthy A, Ross I, Evans A, Arruda C. Can classic moral stories promote honesty in children? Psychol Sci 2014; 25:1630-6. [PMID: 24928424 DOI: 10.1177/0956797614536401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The classic moral stories have been used extensively to teach children about the consequences of lying and the virtue of honesty. Despite their widespread use, there is no evidence whether these stories actually promote honesty in children. This study compared the effectiveness of four classic moral stories in promoting honesty in 3- to 7-year-olds. Surprisingly, the stories of "Pinocchio" and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" failed to reduce lying in children. In contrast, the apocryphal story of "George Washington and the Cherry Tree" significantly increased truth telling. Further results suggest that the reason for the difference in honesty-promoting effectiveness between the "George Washington" story and the other stories was that the former emphasizes the positive consequences of honesty, whereas the latter focus on the negative consequences of dishonesty. When the "George Washington" story was altered to focus on the negative consequences of dishonesty, it too failed to promote honesty in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Lee
- Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto
| | - Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University
| | - Anjanie McCarthy
- Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto
| | - Ilana Ross
- Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto
| | | | - Cindy Arruda
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University
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38
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Lyon TD, Wandrey L, Ahern E, Licht R, Sim MPY, Quas JA. Eliciting maltreated and nonmaltreated children's transgression disclosures: narrative practice rapport building and a putative confession. Child Dev 2014; 85:1756-69. [PMID: 24467688 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study tested the effects of narrative practice rapport building (asking open-ended questions about a neutral event) and a putative confession (telling the child an adult "told me everything that happened and he wants you to tell the truth") on 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and nonmaltreated children's reports of an interaction with a stranger who asked them to keep toy breakage a secret (n = 264). Only one third of children who received no interview manipulations disclosed breakage; in response to a putative confession, one half disclosed. Narrative practice rapport building did not affect the likelihood of disclosure. Maltreated children and nonmaltreated children responded similarly to the manipulations. Neither narrative practice rapport building nor a putative confession increased false reports.
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