Role of interviewer and type of interview on children's susceptibility to false memory.

Abstract

This study investigated the role of interview factors on children's recall of a theft. Sixty children ages five through eight years were shown a video theft scene and interviewed immediately and again after one week. Children were either asked to elaborate on true and false information or were merely exposed to true and false information about the witnessed theft scene. Children who were pressured initially to confabulate, made more errors in recall than children who were not pressured to confabulate. Children in both groups were generally more confused about false events than about true events. They were also more likely to misattribute the source of new information than the source of old information. Children who were initially pressured to comply with inaccurate information made more errors than children who were only exposed to incorrect information when asked about false items for the second time. Old information was implanted because it was misattributed to the video more often than to past discussion. Various individual characteristics were related to children's ability to recall information accurately.