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Dissertation
Young eyewitnesses: an examination of young children's response accuracy to target present and target absent lineup arrays following training procedures
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Apr 2004
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-311
Abstract
The Young Eyewitnesses research study examined the relationship between lineup type (Lineup Present, Lineup Absent), experimental condition (Training, Control) and response accuracy (correct, incorrect, and Don't Know responses) for children ages 3 years through 8 years. Children watched a video depicting a picnic scene in which a woman steals a camera. After a distractor task, children were provided with general instructions and demonstrations regarding lineups, including specific instructions about Don't Know and Not Here response options. The children assigned to the training condition then made identifications from six lineup arrays of photographs of men. The rest of the children engaged in a card game (using the photographs of the men). All children then viewed the main lineup array, consisting of six photographs of women, a Don't Know card, and a Not Here card. Children's comprehension monitoring was assessed through a referential communication task. Lineup type had a significant effect on accuracy when response accuracy was measured at three levels (correct, incorrect, and Don't Know) but not when accuracy was collapsed to two levels (correct, incorrect). Training had no impact on response accuracy within the Lineup Present condition; it neither increased nor decreased the proportions of correct responses. In the Lineup Absent condition, there was a significant effect of training on response accuracy. The proportion of correct responses was significantly higher for children in the Training group as compared to those in the Control group. In the Lineup Absent condition, there was a significant interaction between response accuracy and age (coded as a dichotomous categorical variable, with children ages 3 years through 5 years as one level and children ages 6 years through 8 years as the other), with the proportion of correct responses for the younger children significantly greater than the proportion of correct responses for the older children. Training did not have any observed negative impact on identification responses and, in the Lineup Absent condition, improved response accuracy. Implications for police and other personnel involved in working with child eyewitnesses and suggestions for continued research are discussed.
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Details
- Title
- Young eyewitnesses
- Creators
- Dominique Huneycutt - DU
- Contributors
- Donald N. Bersoff (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 311; 991014632193804721