Portraits in straw: A reply to Melinder et al. (2020)

Abstract

We recently published a study of extended forensic child interviews in Norway which included a large sample (n = 207) of interviews with preschool-aged children (Baugerud et al., 2020). Criticizing the study, Melinder, Magnusson, Ask, et al. (2020) make the bold assertion that: "when [the reader adopts] a different perspective and contextual knowledge [it] change the conclusions." We were curious to read their reinterpretation of our findings but were left disappointed. Melinder et al.'s comments comprised a mixture of unsupported claims, factual errors, misrepresentations of the study and the Norwegian legal system, and mistaken assumptions about the coding practices we employed.In what follows, we address their comments and correct their errors, organized according to their own subheadings.