DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS OF EYEWITNESS MEMORY AND SUGGESTIBILITY - AN ECOLOGICALLY BASED SHORT-TERM LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

Adults, 8-, and 6-year-olds viewed a Video of 2 children arguing over a bicycle and were asked free-and cured-recall as well as positive- and negative-leading questions in multiple interviews. Correct free recall varied with the type of the item. Age differences were found for correct free recall, but not for unbiased cued recall. Unbiased cues evoked more correct and incorrect responses from all subjects. Incorrect free recall was at near floor levels. Forgetting for all ages was comparable when based on levels of initial free recall but was greater for the children when based on what was remembered to unbiased cued-recall questions. Age differences were found for suggestibility, with the 6-year-olds being more suggestible to the negative-leading questions than participants in the other two age groups. Adults demonstrated a rejection bias. Adults compared to children correctly recalled more peripheral items. Changed answers were most common for 6-year olds. Results and implications are discussed in terms of experiences an eyewitness could expect when involved in the pretrial testimony-taking events in a characteristic misdemeanor matter.