The influence of social instructions on the effectiveness of a cognitive interview used with very young child witnesses

The benefits of multiple recollection strategies on adolescents’ testimonies: quality versus within-statement consistency?

“…Even though more comparable research is necessary, this result is encouraging. Further, in line with previous research (Memon et al, 1993;Verkampt and Ginet, 2010;Verkampt et al, 2014), this MCI benefit is mostly explained by the increase of correct information observed during the second free recall. Note, however, that this benefit appears with a rise in incorrect information.…”

“…the interviewer explains that he/she was absent during the events, and does not know anything about what happened to the child) might impact the report criteria. Indeed, children who did not experience the interviewer being ignorant about the facts reported less information than children to whom the interviewer specified that he/she did not know anything about the events (Verkampt et al, 2014). Therefore, interviewers should reinforce the idea that the second free recall exists to support the recall of new and potentially relevant information, not because the first free recall was not good enough.…”

An analysis of the quality of investigative interviews with children in France: age of the witness does matter

“…Such beliefs are known not only to reduce the quantity of the reported details (e.g. Verkampt, Ginet, & Colomb, 2014), but also their accuracy and the children's resistance to misleading questions (e.g. Mulder & Vrij, 1996).…”

When psychological science fails to be heard: the lack of evidence-based arguments in a ministerial report on child sexual abuse

“…This protocol is the most efficient investigative interview protocol as it is based on the same four structures as the NICHD protocol, but also because it includes retrieval strategies, whose purpose is to help victims and witnesses to retrieve information that is initially difficult to access. Originally developed for adult witnesses (Fisher & Geiselman, 1992), memory researchers designed retrieval strategies especially for children, which have proven to be very effective with children aged four to nine years of age (Verkampt & Ginet, 2010;Verkampt, Ginet, & Colomb, 2014). The NICHD protocol and the CI have been the subject of extensive research conducted by memory specialists, and it is our view that investigators should rely on these instead of using a protocol developed by non-memory experts.…”