Knowledge of legal professionals about age trends in false memory propensity: a vignette study.

ABSTRACT: Professionals who evaluate witness testimony must understand the developmental factors that can affect statements credibility. This online vignette study investigated in how far 102 legal professionals (e.g., judges, attorneys, and police officers) were aware of age-related differences in false memory formation (e.g., the developmental reversal effect). Swedish, Norwegian, and Dutch legal professionals received a case vignette about a female who had witnessed her mother's murder. We manipulated witness age (6 versus 22 years old) and disclosure (spontaneous versus suggestion-induced). Legal professionals rated the case and statement on several credibility, metacognition, and belief items. Main effects of both age and disclosure indicated that professionals were statistically more likely to

SUBMITTER: Houben STL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11607390 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature