The devil is not only in the details: gist and detail elaboration in intoxicated witnesses’ reports of interpersonal violence

Abstract

The empirical base relating to alcohol's effects on underlying memory mechanisms among witnesses is sparse. Therefore, the effect of alcohol intoxication on memory mechanisms was investigated, as well as how degree of intoxication and interview delay affected gist and detail elaboration in these witnesses' reports. Participants (n = 136) were randomized to an alcohol group (men: 0.8 g/kg, women: 0.75 g/kg) (n = 70) or a control group (n = 66), given juice. After consumption, they witnessed an intimate partner violence-scenario, and performed tasks assessing memory mechanisms. Half of the intoxicated and sober groups were interviewed immediately. The remaining participants were interviewed one week later. Inter alia, intoxication decreased total gist recall and elaboration capacity. In general, high intoxication (BAC = 0.08-0.15) made witnesses report fewer gist categories, and also to elaborate them less, but there were differences in gist/ detail elaboration between levels of intoxication due to emotional context. Less reported information among intoxicated witnesses was caused both by omitting parts of the scenario and to less detailed elaboration. Emotional context influenced reporting among intoxicated witnesses on a gist and detail level. However, intoxication had less impact on gist/detail-elaboration than did a one week delay before interview, suggesting that witnesses should be interviewed immediately, despite intoxication. ARTICLE HISTORYThe devil is not only in the details: gist and detail in intoxicated witnesses' direct and delayed reports of intimate partner violenceThe effect of alcohol on the reliability and scope of witnesses' reports is a relatively new area of research. Therefore, many issues are still unclear, among them the underlying mechanisms of alcohol's impact on witnesses' memory for violence. Some previous

Interviewing intoxicated witnesses: Memory performance in theory and practice

“…Results in Hildebrand Karlén et al . () support this conclusion to a certain extent. In this study, the effects of different BAC‐levels (0.04–0.08/0.08–0.15) and emotional intensity (neutral/verbally aggressive/physically aggressive) on gist and detail elaboration were investigated in free recall reports of intoxicated witnesses to violence (video stimulus) in an immediate and delayed interview condition.…”

“…This pattern of reporting is consistent with assumptions in fuzzy trace‐theory (Brainerd et al ., ). To examine confidence in memory accuracy among intoxicated witnesses is a promising way to ascertain this, and initial results indicate that confidence in accuracy of recall declines with rising BAC (see Crossland et al ., ; Hildebrand Karlén et al ., ).…”

“…Studies have proposed that this is caused by the impairment of alcohol on amygdala's emotionally activating and memory consolidation properties, but different effects of alcohol/other anxiety dampening substance on type of recalled details have been found due to BAC‐level. When the BAC‐level is low/no anxiety dampening substance ingested, recall of peripheral details seem to suffer (i.e., similar results as obtained with sober subjects under stress), but when BAC‐level is higher/anxiety dampening substance is ingested, recall of central details suffer (here: anxiety‐provoking actions/sequence of events, not neutral central details) (Adolphs et al ., ; Hildebrand Karlén et al ., , ). Regarding the central/peripheral distinction, (see Crossland et al ., , study 1; Flowe et al ., ) central details correspond to the central actions performed in the scenario or to the distinguishing features of the perpetrator/victim.…”

“…Mode of interview also seem to be important to how many central/peripheral details that are reported. For example, reporting of peripheral details was undermined by alcohol in a cued recall task (more I don't know‐responses regarding the scenario's central aspects), but in a free recall setting, recall of central details decrease more than recall of peripheral details (Crossland et al ., ; Hildebrand Karlén et al ., , , ). Despite these differences, it should also be noted that during very high BAC levels, alcohol can induce complete amnesia (i.e., blackout) for highly emotional events, such as involvement in a fight or sexual intercourse (Curran, ).…”

“…Regarding suggestibility, if previous research is an indicator, the level of suggestibility should depend on how certain they are of their memories' accuracy. Since certainty seems to decrease with increasing BAC among witnesses (Harvey et al, 2013b;Hildebrand Karl en et al, 2016), the risk of suggestibility should indeed increase with BAC, provided that the witness trusts the interviewing police officer. Hence, in future research on intoxicated witnesses it is important to investigate their memory performance in more structured interview format.…”