Making memories: The gestural misinformation effect in children aged 11-16-years-old with intellectual/developmental...

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Child abuse remains a significant global issue, disproportionately affecting children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
• Accurate eyewitness testimony is crucial for legal proceedings, yet children with IDD are susceptible to misinformation.
• The impact of gestural cues on the testimony of children with IDD is an under-researched area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of gestures on the testimony of children with moderate IDD.
• To compare the suggestibility of children with IDD to typically developing (TD) children.

Main Methods:

• Children with moderate IDD (aged 11-16) and TD children (aged 5-8) from prior research participated.
• Participants watched a video and were interviewed with questions, some including suggestive gestures.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (18/21) of children with IDD were misled by gestures at least once.
• No significant difference in suggestibility was found between children with IDD and TD children.
• This study is the first to demonstrate the impact of leading gestural information on children with IDD.

Conclusions:

• Gestures pose a significant risk of influencing the testimony of children with IDD.
• Findings suggest a need to revise police interview protocols to mitigate gestural suggestibility in vulnerable populations.
• The results have implications for legal practices involving child witnesses with IDD.