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"Don't know" responding to answerable and unanswerable questions during misleading and hypnotic interviews.
Alan Scoboria1, Giuliana Mazzoni, Irving Kirsch
1Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. scoboria@uwindsor.ca
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Applied
|September 24, 2008
Summary
"Don't know" (DK) responses in memory studies can mean different things. Misleading questions and hypnosis can affect accuracy, highlighting risks in questioning techniques.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
- Interviewing Techniques
Background:
- "Don't know" (DK) responses are common in interviews but are conceptually varied.
- They can indicate genuine uncertainty or a statement about memory content.
- Understanding the subjective intent behind DK responses is crucial, especially in memory research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the subjective meanings of DK responses.
- To examine DK responses in relation to objective memory status.
- To explore the impact of memory-distorting procedures (hypnosis, misleading questions) on DK responses.
Main Methods:
- Participants viewed a video and answered questions in various formats (misleading/nonmisleading, answerable/unanswerable).
- Hypnosis was used as a variable condition.
- Subjective meanings of DK responses were assessed, alongside a recognition memory test.
Main Results:
- Lower DK rates and higher accuracy were linked to unanswerable and misleading questions.
- A significant portion of DK responses indicated information was not presented.
- Recoding these responses decreased accuracy estimates, particularly for hypnotized participants.
Conclusions:
- DK responses are not monolithic and convey diverse information.
- Accuracy estimates in studies allowing DK responses may be inaccurate.
- Asking unanswerable questions poses risks, and even general questioning can impact memory accuracy.
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