Question

Research has called into question the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Discuss this in terms of one of the following:

Sometimes the only eyewitness to a crime is a child (as in child abuse). What are the risks of relying on the testimony of a child? What are the risks of disallowing a child's testimony in court? How can we improve the reliability of a child's testimony?

APA guidelines: http://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/child-protection.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zQOlkCd4Eg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yafUmbr5ygw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfzHF59WEJg

Adults may recover memory of abuse after many years. Severe long-term abuse is sometimes repressed into unconscious awareness. Explain the recovered memory controversy. Delineate it's importance. What would you recommend? Suggested links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcFRZsD8DLk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsr1rBVyHeE

Elizabeth Loftus conducted research on eyewitness testimony. Explain some of the problems found with utilizing eyewitnesses in the courtroom. What is a false memory? Evaluate strategies used to compensate for the vulnerability of memory in the crime investigations or the courtroom. Useful link: https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_loftus_the_fiction_of_memory

Answer 1

Child protection laws state that the child has a fundamental interest in being protected from abuse and neglect. (APA)

What are the risks of relying on the testimony of a child?

• Several studies have shown that children are more susceptible to suggestion and tend to trust an adult more than adults
• They are more likely to please an adult by giving correct responses.
• The worlds of adults and children are fundamentally different and it can cause difficulties while interviewing the child as the perspective taking is different.

What are the risks of disallowing a child's testimony in court?

• Sometimes the child is the only witness to an event
• Children have more of verbatim trace where things are recorded factually which reduces the chance of false memories. As they mature, they develop gist trace that records the emotional flavour of the memory. As a result, their memories are more reliable.

How can we improve the reliability of a child's testimony?

• Open Ended Questions: They encourage recall whereas close ended questions encourage recognition.
• Modified Cognitive Interviews (MCI) as it reduces suggestibility.
• Interviewers - Police Officers -should be trained in developmental psychology to understand how to interview children based on the specific needs