Does the nature of the experience influence suggestibility? A study of children's event memory.

Full Abstract

Two experiments examined the effects of event modality on children's memory and suggestibility. In Experiment 1, 3- and 5-year-old children directly participated in, observed, or listened to a narrative about an event. In an interview immediately after the event, free recall was followed by misleading or leading questions and, in turn, test recall questions. One week later children were reinterviewed. In Experiment 2, 4-year-old children either participated in or listened to a story about an event, either a single time or to a criterion level of learning. Misleading questions were presented either immediately or 1 week after learning, followed by test recall questions. Five-year-old children were more accurate than 3-year-olds and those participating were more accurate than those either observing or listening to a narrative. However, method of assessment, level of event learning, delay to testing, and variables relating to the misled items also influenced the magnitude of misinformation effects.Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

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Author information

Author/s: Gobbo, Camilla (C); Mega, Carolina (C); Pipe, Margaret-Ellen (ME);

Affiliation: University of Padova, Padova, Italy. camilla.gobbo(-atsign-)unipd.it

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of experimental child psychology (J Exp Child Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Apr; vol 81 (issue 4) : pp 502-30

Dates: Created 2002/03/13; Completed 2002/05/06; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 11890734, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Age Factors
Child Psychology
Child, Preschool
Cognition - physiology
Female
Humans

Humans
Male
Memory - physiology
Mental Recall - physiology
Retention (Psychology) - physiology
Suggestion

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