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<p>As victims or witnesses of an event, children in investigative interviews are often required to respond to many questions—both answerable and unanswerable. Questions without specific answers are unavoidable but can increase the likelihood of false information unless children reply truthfully (e.g., “I don’t know”; DK). To identify factors related to children’s DK responses to unanswerable questions, this study assessed recall accuracy about a stressful event among sixty 5- to 8-year-old children and compared the accuracy rates based on interview-related characteristics (i.e., question type and interview timing) and child-related characteristics (i.e., attachment security). We found greater DK accuracy in an immediate interview compared to a delayed interview. Children’s higher attachment security was associated with more correct DK responses to unanswerable questions, particularly WH questions. Several aspects are thus important to consider in order to diminish children’s incorrect responses during investigative interviews. These elements are especially crucial when preparing for a case in which an investigator with no knowledge of the child’s circumstances might inadvertently pose unanswerable questions.</p>

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Effects of question type, time delay, and attachment security on children’s “don’t know” responses in memory interviews

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年2月3日

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  • Seungjin Lee,
  • Juyoung Kim

摘要

As victims or witnesses of an event, children in investigative interviews are often required to respond to many questions—both answerable and unanswerable. Questions without specific answers are unavoidable but can increase the likelihood of false information unless children reply truthfully (e.g., “I don’t know”; DK). To identify factors related to children’s DK responses to unanswerable questions, this study assessed recall accuracy about a stressful event among sixty 5- to 8-year-old children and compared the accuracy rates based on interview-related characteristics (i.e., question type and interview timing) and child-related characteristics (i.e., attachment security). We found greater DK accuracy in an immediate interview compared to a delayed interview. Children’s higher attachment security was associated with more correct DK responses to unanswerable questions, particularly WH questions. Several aspects are thus important to consider in order to diminish children’s incorrect responses during investigative interviews. These elements are especially crucial when preparing for a case in which an investigator with no knowledge of the child’s circumstances might inadvertently pose unanswerable questions.