Johnstone, K.L. orcid.org/0000-0001-5296-7043, Blades, M. and Martin, C. orcid.org/0000-0002-8186-784X (2024) Making memories: the gestural misinformation effect in children aged 11-16-years-old with intellectual/developmental difficulties. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 154. 104828. ISSN 0891-4222
Abstract
Background: In 2016, global records documented around 1 billion child abuse cases, with higher rates among children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), and most recorded offenses not proceeding to court. Accurate eyewitness testimony is vital for the justice system. Yet, while children with IDD are known to be influenced by verbal misinformation, the effect of gestures on their testimony is still unknown. Aims: The present study assessed the extent to which gesture can mislead children with IDD, alongside comparisons to prior research in typically developing (TD) children. Method: A sample of children with moderate IDD aged 11–16 years (n = 21, M=12.95 years) were recruited from a UK school, and compared to TD 5–6-year-olds (n = 31, M=5.77 years) and 7–8-year-olds (n = 32, M=7.66 years) from previous published research. After watching a video participants underwent an interview containing 12 questions, some of which contained suggestive gestures. Outcomes and Implications: Results demonstrated that in children with IDD, gesture observation significantly influenced responses given, with 18 of 21 children being misled at least once. Comparisons to TD children indicated no difference in suggestibility. This study is the first to examine how leading gestural information affects children with IDD, broadening previous research to a more representative sample for the justice system. Discussion centres on implications for police interview guidelines.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Eyewitness testimony; False memory; Gesture; Intellectual or developmental disability (IDD); Misinformation; Humans; Child; Male; Female; Intellectual Disability; Adolescent; Gestures; Developmental Disabilities; Suggestion; Communication; Child, Preschool; Case-Control Studies; United Kingdom; Memory |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Medicine and Population Health |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2025 09:37 |
Last Modified: | 23 Jan 2025 09:37 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104828 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier BV |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104828 |
Related URLs: | |
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:221875 |