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Citation |
Peterson C, Pardy L, Tizzard-Drover T, Warren KL. Law Hum. Behav. 2005; 29(5): 527-541. |
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Affiliation |
Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, A1B 3X9, carole@.mun.ca. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2005, American Psychological Association) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
16254741 |
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Abstract |
Three- to nine-year-old children were interviewed about a medical emergency (injury requiring hospital ER treatment) two years after it occurred. Half of the number of children had been interviewed shortly after injury as well as 6 and 12 months later, while the remaining children had had only one prior interview a year after injury. There was remarkably little long-term deterioration in memory by both groups. Having a delayed initial interview had two effects, and both were relevant only to the harder-to-remember hospital treatment event: (a) The late-interview group was less accurate, and (b) early-interview children had more extensive free recall, suggesting that multiple prior interviews teach children the "rules of the memory game'' when they are asked open-ended questions. Forensic implications are discussed. |