Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
Children's Memory for Their Mother's Murder: Accuracy, Suggestibility, and Resistance to Suggestion
Kelly McWilliams1, Rachel Narr1, Gail S Goodman1
1a Department of Psychology , University of California , Davis , CA , USA.
Abstract:
From its inception, child eyewitness memory research has been guided by dramatic legal cases that turn on the testimony of children. Decades of scientific research reveal that, under many conditions, children can provide veracious accounts of traumatic experiences. Scientific studies also document factors that lead children to make false statements. In this paper we describe a legal case in which children testified about their mother's murder. We discuss factors that may have influenced the accuracy of the children's eyewitness memory. Children's suggestibility and resistance to suggestion are illustrated. Expert testimony, based on scientific research, can aid the trier of fact when children provide crucial evidence in criminal investigations and courtroom trials about tragic events.
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