Differences in Immediate and Delayed Suggestibility Among Children With Dyslexia and Controls

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dyslexia and suggestibility in children, and the extent to which this relationship is accounted for by performance on Word Tasks. Participants comprised 95 children with dyslexia and 109 controls. All participants completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS 2), which measures immediate and delayed suggestibility 1 week apart, five different Word Tasks, and a test of non-verbal intelligence. Overall, the findings indicate a nuanced relationship between dyslexia and different components of suggestibility as measured by the GSS 2. This relationship is substantially mediated by poor verbal recall and difficulties in identifying absurd or implausible story content. This represents a novel contribution to scientific literature. The implications for interview practice are significant: special caution is required when interviewing children with "pure" dyslexia, as the absence of co-morbid neurodevelopmental conditions does not preclude vulnerability during investigative interviewing or witness testimony.