The stability and generalizability of young children's suggestibility over a 44-month interval

Abstract

We discuss a 44-month longitudinal study of the stability of the two-factor Norwegian Book Suggestibility Scale for Children (BSSC; Melinder, Scullin, Gunner⊘d, & Nyborg, 2005) in a sample of 7-year-old children (M _{Time 2 age}=94 months). Several measures of suggestibility were assessed: yielding to suggestive questions (Yield), shifting answers in response to negative feedback (Shift), the sum of Yield and Shift (Total Suggestibility), and suggestibility in response to open-ended and misleading direct and tag questions about an event experienced 44 months earlier. Results showed a moderate correlation for Total Suggestibility scores over time in spite of marked declines in Yield and Shift. Both Yield and Total Suggestibility were related to children's tendency to respond affirmatively to misleading tag questions about the past event. The two-factor model of suggestibility showed some weakening over time with a positive correlation developing between Yield and Shift.

Keywords:

• Suggestibility
• memory
• child witnesses
• generalizability

Acknowledgements

We thank all the child participants who contributed to this work. The study was supported by a grant from the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (06/34707).

Notes

1. For children's regularly scheduled medical examination, each child individually experienced six standard medical events (i.e. building report, growth measurement, and tests of control of fine-motor and conceptual development, vision, gross motor skills including taking off clothes, and hearing). In addition, two non-standard medical events were included. A researcher observed the medical examination and completed a checklist about the children's behaviours during the examination. At the end of each exam, the researcher explained to the parent the next step of the study. Parents were told that researchers were interested in the efficiency of investigative methods, and parents were asked not to talk to their child about the exam until the interview had been conducted. If the parents still wished to participate, they signed a new consent form.