Can order of general and specific memory prompts help children to recall an instance of a repeated event that was different from the others?

Abstract

Does asking about the general event before asking about a specific instance help children to report details of a particular instance of a repeated event that was different from the others? Six- to eight-year-old children either experienced or heard stories about a magic show. An equal number of children had one, four, or six similar experiences. One week later, half of the children were asked to describe what happens during the magic shows and then what happened during the target experience and half were asked what happened followed by what happens. Following free recall, all children were asked cued recall questions about the target instance. Memory reports were more complete when the general prompt was administered first than when it was administered second. Implications for the forensic interviewing of children who allege repeated abuse are discussed.

Keywords:

• child witnesses
• interviewing strategies
• memory
• repeated events
• schema theory

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) research grant to the first author and a SSHRC doctoral fellowship to the second author. The authors would like to thank the research assistants for their help with data collection, the Catholic School Board of Greater Vancouver, and the teachers, parents, and children who participated in this research.