How Consistency and Alleged Perpetrator Relationship Affect Adults' Credibility and Coaching Judgements in Child...

Child sexual abuse (CSA) victims often withhold disclosure due to coaching by the alleged perpetrator to deny the abuse. Adults, however, are generally poor at detecting coached lies in children, potentially because such reports are highly consistent. However, little is known about how the victim-alleged perpetrator relationship influences adults' perceptions of credibility and coaching in CSA cases. In this study, jury-eligible participants (N = 183) read one of six CSA mock-forensic interview transcripts involving a 12-year-old boy giving testimony containing evidence of CSA coaching. The transcripts varied in the consistency of the child's testimony (i.e. consistent or inconsistent) and the child's relationship to the alleged perpetrator (i.e. stepdad, peer, stranger). Results showed that consistent testimony led to higher credibility ratings, whereas inconsistent testimony increased perceptions that the child was coached. The victim-alleged perpetrator relationship did not significantly affect perceptions of credibility of coaching. Overall, these findings indicate that consistency is a powerful cue shaping adults' evaluations of CSA testimony.