PSYC 3020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: False Memory Syndrome, Free Recall, Structured Interview
12 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Over the past 300 years the legal attitude towards child witnesses has been skeptical. Validity of negative attitudes toward child witnesses in the 20th century found that young children were highly suggestible and had difficulty separating fact from fantasy. This meant they were unable to give accurate testimony even if it was of personal significance. Increased research of child witnesses has come from an increased number of sexual and physical abuse where children are the victims or witnesses. In most cases it is the police that decides where a case will move towards prosecution. Children do not make reliable witnesses even about events they have supposedly experienced, but are capable of accurately recalling forensically relevant details of events. Challenge is where what they recall is accurate or fabricated. Accuracy of reporting depends of how they are asked to report. Free narrative - asked to report all they remember. Children report very little information using free narrative.
