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One of the recent concerns in the study of eyewitness memory is how well lay knowledge, i.e. 'common sense', matches the findings of empirical research. A number of American and Canadian studies, some using questionnaire methodology, have found limitations in lay knowledge of eyewitness behaviour. Further studies have extended this general finding beyond the lay public-who are prospective jurors-to legal professionals such as lawyers and policemen. The present study utilized the Knowledge of Eyewitness Behaviour Questionnaire (KEBQ), an inventory used in previous studies, to replicate the North American studies with a British sample of students, including law students, and the general public. The results showed a great similarity between the North American and British samples' knowledge of eyewitness behaviour. A significant number of correct responses were made to eight of the 14 KEBQ items, with a significant number of incorrect responses to the remainder. It was also found that law students were no more knowledgeable than other subjects; that knowledge did not vary with age; and that previous experience as an eyewitness was not related to knowledge of eyewitness behaviour. In responding to some of the criticisms of questionnaire studies it is argued that the evidence is mounting in favour of the need for a recognized system to make jurors aware of the factors known to influence eyewitness testimony.The study of eyewitness memory, popular at the beginning of the century (Whipple, 1918), has enjoyed renewed interest over the past decade. The steady accumulation of empirical knowledge has been collected in several publications on the topic (Clifford ). With this increased understanding of eyewitness memory, an issue of recent concern in some North American studies is how well lay knowledge matches empirical research. The present study seeks to extend this line of investigation to a British sample.Two lay populations have been seen as particularly important: the general public as prospective witness and jurors; and lawyers and police as professionals involved in the use of eyewitness testimony by the legal system. A number of studies have tested the knowledge of both groups using a variety of methods. Wells (1984a) describes four methodologies to assess knowledge of accuracy of eyewitness memory: questionnaire studies, prediction studies, the use of written or videotaped trials, and the use of staged events. Whilst there are shortcomings with all the methodologies, the questionnaire *Addressee for reprints. 144E. Noon and C. R. Hollin method offers perhaps the most parsimonious, and no less reliable, means of data collection. Loftus (1979) gave 500 students at the University of Washington a five-item questionnaire to test their knowledge of eyewitness memory. For each item a choice of responses was available: for example there were four possible responses to the question 'When a person is experiencing stress as the victim of a crime, he will have:'. The correct response, made by 67 per cent of subjects, is 'Reduc...

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This study explored the effect of the gendered structure of siblings in intact and non-intact families, on family relations, social support, perceived control, and psychological distress in a sample of 708 young adults (294 males and 414 females) aged between 18-21 years. Of the sample 96 were singletons, 208 had both a brother and sister, 206 had a brother and no sister, and 198 had a sister and no brother. While the results show that both the gender of the participants and the gender of the sibling seem to impact on distress and its mediators; the more important factor is the gender of siblings. In essence the presence of a female sibling is associated with more perceived support, control and optimism, and with lower pessimism and psychological distress. The presence of a female is also associated with better family relations overall and it is suggested that the main mechanism for this positive impact of female siblings is through the lowered conflict and increased expressiveness and cohesion experienced in female versus male dominated sibling groups.

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