This is what happened . . . I think?: Indicators of uncertainty when witnesses recall a single or repeated event

Some crimes, such as domestic and family violence, are often experienced repeatedly. However, previous research indicates that repeated-event witnesses can be perceived as less credible than those who recall an event that only occurred once, and even those who lie about having witnessed an event. The current study aimed to investigate whether these lower credibility ratings may be due, at least partially, to repeated-event witnesses being more uncertain when describing what happened. Across two studies, coders analysed the reports of mock-witnesses who observed either a single or a repeated event. Results indicated that repeated-event witnesses used significantly more hedge words (such as 'I think' or 'I guess') than single-event witnesses. Such differences in verbal indicators of uncertainty shed light on the mechanisms behind the lower credibility ratings of repeated-event witnesses.