Young Children's Ability to Describe Intermediate Clothing Placement

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Forensic Interviewing
• Developmental Science

Background:

• Accurate descriptions of clothing placement are vital for evaluating child sexual abuse allegations.
• Young children may struggle to describe intermediate clothing states (partially removed).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different question types affect children's descriptions of clothing placement.
• To examine children's tendency to categorize intermediate placements as fully 'on' or 'off'.

Main Methods:

• 172 children aged 3–6 years were interviewed.
• Children described clothing placement in response to yes/no, forced-choice, open-choice, and 'where' questions.
• Responses regarding intermediate clothing placement were analyzed.

Main Results:

• 'Where' questions were most effective in eliciting descriptions of intermediate clothing placement, even from the youngest children.
• Children sometimes inaccurately described intermediate placements as fully 'on' or 'off'.
• This 'on-off' tendency varied based on question type and the specific clothing placement.

Conclusions:

• 'Where' questions are recommended for interviewing young children about clothing placement in sexual abuse cases.
• Interviewers should be aware of children's potential 'on-off' response bias.
• Improved questioning strategies can enhance the accuracy of child witness accounts.