| 1. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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Situational variables or beliefs? A multifaceted approach to understanding blame attributions
- 2017
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 23:6, s. 527-552
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Are victim and perpetrator blame attributions affected more by situational-specific variables or observers’ basic motives and personal beliefs? In three experiments, varying the scenario setting, the effects of victim and participant age, participant gender, sympathy for the victim, trust in the justice system, belief in a just world and acceptance of rape myths were investigated. In total, 877 Swedish adolescents and adults read scenarios reflecting common acquaintance rape situations. Victim age (18 or 31) was manipulated, but did not affect attributed blame. Effects of participant age and gender varied markedly across the three experiments. Sympathy for the victim and acceptance of rape myths were stronger predictors than belief in a just world. Consistently, blame attributions were found to be more affected by personal beliefs than situational-specific variables.
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| 2. |
- Ahola, Angela
(författare)
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How reliable are eyewitness memories? Effects of retention interval, violence of act, and gender stereotypes on observers' judgments of their own memory regarding witnessed act and perpetrator :
- 2012
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 18:5, s. 491-503
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of (i) stimulus person's gender, (ii) type of act (neutral or violent), and (iii) retention interval (short or long) on observers' memory of a stimulus person. Participants were presented with one of two acts: neutral (walking around in a store) or violent (robbing a store). The retention interval was 10 minutes or one-three weeks. The dependent variables were questionnaire items concerning the participants' memory of (1) the stimulus person's appearance and (2) the event, and (3) rating scales where the participants were asked to evaluate the stimulus person's aggressiveness, insensitivity, and other personality traits as well as characteristics of the act. Results showed that when the act was violent, and a long retention interval was used, a female, but not a male, stimulus person was evaluated less harshly than with a short retention interval (enhancement of gender stereotype); a stimulus person was seen as behaving in a more masculine way when performing a violent rather than a neutral act; witnessing the violent act resulted in better self-rated memory of the stimulus person; and with increasing retention interval, the violent act was seen as less negative and the neutral act as more negative (regression toward the mean).
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Allwood, Carl Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Children's and adults' realism in their event-recall confidence in responses to free recall and focused questions
- 2008
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 14:6, s. 529-547
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two experiments examined the realism in the confidence of 8-9-year-olds, 12-13-year-olds and adults in their free recall and answers to focused questions after viewing a short video clip. A different video clip was shown in each experiment and the focused questions differed in difficulty. In both experiments the youngest age group, in contrast to the two other age groups, showed no overconfidence in their confidence judgements for the free recall. The free recall results also showed that the youngest group had lower completeness but similar correctness as the adults. There was a tendency, over both experiments, for the participants to show poorer realism for the focused questions than for the free recall, especially when questions with content already mentioned in the free recall were excluded from the analyses of the focused questions in Experiment 1. The study shows the importance of question format when evaluating the credibility of the confidence shown by 8-9-year-old children in their own testimony.
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| 5. |
- Allwood, Carl Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Children's and adults' realism in their event-recall confidence in responses to free recall and focused questions
- 2008
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1477-2744 .- 1068-316X. ; 14:6, s. 529-547
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two experiments examined the realism in the confidence of 8-9-year-olds,12-13-year-olds and adults in their free recall and answers to focused questions after viewing a short videoclip. A different videoclip was shown in each experiment and the focused questions differed in difficulty. In both experiments the youngest age group, in contrast to the two other age groups, showed no overconfidence in their confidence judgements for the free recall. The free recall results also showed that the youngest group had lower completeness but similar correctness as the adults. There was a tendency, over both experiments, for the participants to show poorer realism for the focused questions than for the free recall, especially when questions with content already mentioned in the free recall were excluded from the analyses of the focused questions in Experiment1. The study shows the importance of questionformat when evaluating the credibility of the confidence shown by 8-9-year-old children in their own testimony.
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| 6. |
- Allwood, Carl Martin, 1952, et al.
(författare)
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Eyewitnesses under influence: How feedback affect the realism in confidence
- 2006
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime & Law. - : Informa UK Limited. ; 12:1, s. 25-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated the effect of two types of feedback (confirmatory and disconfirmatory) on the accuracy in witness’ confidence judgements of their event memory. Overall the witnesses evidenced overconfidence both when they received feedback and in the control condition (no feedback). The results showed that confirmatory feedback caused higher overconfidence, compared both with when receiving disconfirmatory and no feedback. The results suggest that the impact of feedback on the accuracy of confidence judgments show the same pattern of results for event memory as for line-up identification tasks. Finally, when witnesses rated the total number of questions that they had answered correctly they gave fairly correct estimates compared with their actual number of correct answers.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Azad, Azade, et al.
(författare)
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Children's reporting patterns after witnessing homicidal violence : the effect of repeated experience and repeated interviews
- 2014
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - Oxfordshire, United Kingdom : Routledge. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 20:5, s. 407-429
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For both legal and clinical purposes, it is of importance to study children's memories and reports of stressful events. The present study investigated the reporting patterns of 83 children who had witnessed homicidal violence, which is considered to be a highly stressful experience. More specifically, we explored the possible effects of prior violence exposure and of repeated questioning on the amount of details reported. Results showed that the majority of children provided detailed reports about the homicidal violence they had witnessed, including details concerning what happened before, during, and after the violent act. The children provided detailed and vivid testimonies from their experiences, whether they witnessed the event for the first time or had prior experience of witnessing severe violence against the victim by the perpetrator. Children with no prior experience of repeated violence who underwent repeated interviews provided more details than those interviewed once. The present data indicate that children are competent witnesses when questioned in legal contexts after having been exposed to extremely stressful events. These findings have implications for research related to children's memories and reporting of traumatic experiences, as well as practical implications for future treatment and evaluation of children's testimonies.
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| 9. |
- Christianson, Sven A., et al.
(författare)
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Recognition of previous eyewitness testimony from an altered interrogation protocol : Potential effects of distortions
- 2007
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 13:6, s. 583-589
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of protocol presentation on witnesses' tendency to point out errors in a transcribed version of their verbal testimony was examined in two experiments. Participants were shown a film depicting a robbery and were subsequently questioned. In the process of typing out the testimony, there were six distortions entered into the protocol. When participants were asked to check the content for approval, they either listened to the experimenter reading the protocol out aloud, or read it on their own. The results showed that witnesses who had listened to the content being read to them pointed out significantly fewer distortions, and suggest that protocol presentation may have important implications for the justice system.
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| 10. |
- Crozier, William E., et al.
(författare)
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Taking the bait: interrogation questions about hypothetical evidence may inflate perceptions of guilt
- 2020
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 26:9, s. 902-925
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During suspect interviews, police will sometimes ask about hypothetical incriminating evidence to evoke a cue to deception–a technique known as a bait question. Previous research has demonstrated such questions can distort peoples’ memory for what evidence exists in a case. Here, we investigate whether such memory distortion can also cause people to see the suspect as more likely to be guilty. Across three experiments, we find exposure to bait questions led to participants hold inflated views of a suspect’s guilt. Further, we demonstrate bait questions cause reliable, robust memory distortion, leading participants to believe non-existent, incriminating evidence exists. However, we found no evidence to support the speculated mechanisms for this inflation–namely, (1) that source monitoring errors could lead people to misremember false evidence as real evidence and (2) that bait questions provide ‘key evidence’ to fill in the gaps of an incomplete theory of a case. In sum, bait questions have the problematic potential to shift jurors towards guilty verdicts. We suggest future research directions on bait questions, including the need for different designs to clarify why bait questions inflate guilt, and recommend practitioners avoid the use of bait questions.
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| 11. |
- Dahl, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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Old and very old adults as witnesses: event memory and metamemory
- 2015
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1477-2744 .- 1068-316X. ; 21:8, s. 764-775
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Older people constitute an important category of eyewitnesses. Episodic memory performance in older persons is poorer than in younger adults, but little research has been made on older persons' metacognitive judgments. Since more persons of advanced age will likely be called upon as witnesses in coming years, it is critical to characterize this population's metacognitive abilities. We compared event memory metacognition in old adults (66-year-old, n = 74) to very old adults (87 or 90 years old, n = 55). Participants were tested on their memory of a film, using questions with two answer alternatives and the confidence in their answer. As expected, the very old group had a lower accuracy rate than the old group (d = 0.59). The very old group, however, monitored this impairment, since their over-/underconfidence and calibration did not differ from the old group but they displayed a poorer ability to separate correct from incorrect answers (discrimination ability). Possibly, the very old group was able to monitor the level of their over-/underconfidence because they applied general self-knowledge about their memory skills. In contrast, the discrimination of correct from incorrect answers may be more dependent on ability to attend to the features of each retrieved memory.
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| 12. |
- Dernevik, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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Violent behaviour in forensic psychiatric patients: Risk assessment and different risk-management levels using the HCR-20
- 2002
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 8:1, s. 93-111
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There has been a growing optimism regarding the accuracy of structured instruments for violence risk assessment in mentally disordered offenders, However, several issues pertaining to forensic assessments of risk remains unsolved, one of which is the relationship between risk assessment and risk management. In this paper we argued that research that evaluate efforts to assess risk must take into account the level of risk management in the sample. We attempted to illustrate this using prospective follow-up data on the frequency and type of inpatient violent behaviours and their relationship to risk management within the context of care. Risk assessments were made upon admission to hospital with the Historical-Clinical-Risk assessment (HCR-20, Webster et al., 1997) in 54 forensic patients followed through three different risk management conditions: High security risk management, medium risk management, and only risk monitoring (low). The results showed large differences in baserate and type of violence in the three management conditions. Results also suggested that the HCR-20 accurately assessed risk in medium and low security conditions, but not in the high security condition. We conclude that the findings reinforce rather than contraindicate the usefulness of the HCR-20 in for clinical practice.
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| 13. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(författare)
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Prosecutors’ experiences investigating alleged sexual abuse against preschoolers
- 2020
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 26:7, s. 687-709
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Investigating and prosecuting cases of alleged child sexual abuse is challenging, especially if the report concerns a young child. The present study aimed to examine prosecutors’ experiences investigating and prosecuting cases of alleged sexual abuse of pre-schoolers. Ninety-four Swedish child abuse prosecutors participated in a 2017 national survey regarding their work with these cases and their experiences collaborating with police and Child Protective Services (CPS). Their responses were analysed using both quantitative (descriptive and inferential statistics) and qualitative (thematic analysis) approaches. The prosecutors described difficulties eliciting and evaluating testimony from the youngest children, alongside a lack of corroborative evidence, as the main challenges in investigating cases of alleged sexual abuse of pre-schoolers. Some prosecutors reported that an ongoing CPS investigation could negatively affect the criminal investigation. Furthermore, the quality of the investigative child interview was described as paramount to the investigation and as something that could be affected by the interviewer as well as the resources available to the police. Suggestions for future research and potential practical implications for CSA investigations involving pre-schoolers are discussed.
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| 14. |
- Fahsing, Ivar, et al.
(författare)
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The making of an expert detective: The role of experience in English and Norwegian police officers’ investigative decision making
- 2016
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 22:3, s. 203-223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biased decision-making in criminal investigations can impede or arrest the progress of justice. Previous research has not systematically addressed the effects of professional experience on the quality of detectives’ decision-making. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study compared the quality of investigative decisions made by experienced detectives and novice police officers in two countries with markedly different models for the development of investigative expertise (England and Norway). Participants (N=124) were presented with two semi-fictitious cases and were asked to report all relevant investigative hypotheses and necessary investigative actions in each case. The quality of participants’ responses was gauged against a gold standard established by a panel of senior homicide experts. In the English sample, experienced detectives vastly outperformed novice police officers in the number of reported gold-standard investigative hypotheses and actions. In the Norwegian sample, however, experienced detectives did not perform any better than novices. We argue that English (vs. Norwegian) detectives may benefit more from professional experience due to their Professionalising Investigation Programme and a nationwide accreditation program, requiring them to engage in extensive standardized training, systematic evaluation and synchronized development. In contrast, Norway lacks such requirements. Methodological limitations and implications for police training and accreditation policies are discussed.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Granhag, Pär Anders, et al.
(författare)
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‘I saw the man who killed Anna Lindh!’ : An archival study of witnesses' offender descriptions
- 2013
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 19:10, s. 921-931
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An archival study was conducted using offender descriptions reported to the police by witnesses (N=29) of the murder of Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in 2003. All descriptions had been collected within a month after the attack, and each witness had been interviewed between one and five times. Description accuracy was established using photographs of the perpetrator, captured by CCTV cameras minutes before the attack. Contrasting previous archival studies, offender descriptions were quite unreliable (42% of reported attributes were incorrect), and this pattern held for both basic features (e.g., height, age) and more detailed attributes (e.g., clothes). The completeness and accuracy of descriptions increased after (vs. before) images of the perpetrator had been published in the media, but only with regard to the perpetrators’ clothes. We acknowledge the potential effects of co-witness influence and post-event information.
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| 17. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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'I saw the man who killed Anna Lindh!': A case study of witnesses' offender descriptions
- 2013
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 19:10, s. 921-931
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An archival study was conducted using offender descriptions reported to the police by witnesses (N=29) of the murder of Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in 2003. All descriptions had been collected within a month after the attack, and each witness had been interviewed between one and five times. Description accuracy was established using photographs of the perpetrator, captured by CCTV cameras minutes before the attack. Contrasting previous archival studies, offender descriptions were quite unreliable (42% of reported attributes were incorrect), and this pattern held for both basic features (e.g., height, age) and more detailed attributes (e.g., clothes). The completeness and accuracy of descriptions increased after (vs. before) images of the perpetrator had been published in the media, but only with regard to the perpetrators’ clothes. We acknowledge the potential effects of co-witness influence and post-event information.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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The Cognitive Interview and its effect on witnesses' confidence
- 2004
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime & Law. - : Informa UK Limited. ; 10:1, s. 37-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Today there is ample evidence that the Cognitive Interview (CI) enhances witnesses' memory. However, less is known about how the CI affects eyewitnesses' confidence. To address this shortcoming we conducted a study analyzing how realism in confidence was affected by the CI. All participants were first shown a filmed kidnapping. After 2 weeks we interviewed one-third of the participants according to the guidelines of the CI, one-third according to a Standard Interview (SI), and one-third were not interviewed at all (Control condition). Participants in all three conditions were then asked to answer 45 forced-choice questions, and to give a confidence judgment after each choice. For the questions, no differences in accuracy were found between the three conditions. Confidence was higher in the CI and SI conditions, compared with the Control condition. CI and SI did not differ in meta-cognitive realism but both showed lower realism compared with the Control condition, although only CI significantly so. The results indicate that the inflation in confidence is more likely to be explained in terms of a reiteration effect, than as a consequence of the particular mnemonics characterizing the CI (e.g. "mental reinstatement of context"). In sum, CI does not seem to impair (or improve) the realism in witnesses' confidence, and does not inflate confidence in erroneous recall, compared to a SI.
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| 20. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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The Scharff technique: training military intelligence officers to elicit information from small cells of sources
- 2020
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 26:5, s. 438-460
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the Scharff technique for gathering human intelligence, but little is known about how this efficacy might vary among different samples of practitioners. In this training study we examined a sample of military officers (n = 37). Half was trained in the Scharff technique and compared against officers receiving no Scharff training. All officers received the same case file describing two sources holding information about a terrorist attack. University students (n = 74) took the role of the semi-cooperative sources. Scharff-trained officers adhered to the training as they (1) aimed to establish the ‘knowing-it-all’ illusion, (2) posed claims as a means of eliciting information, and (3) asked fewer explicit questions. The ‘untrained’ officers asked many explicit questions, questioned the reliability of the provided information, pressured the source, and displayed disappointment with the source's contribution. Scharff-trained officers were perceived as less eager to gather information and left their sources with the impression of having provided comparatively less new information, but collected a similar amount of new information as their untrained colleagues. The present paper both replicates and advances previous work in the field, and marks the Scharff technique as a promising technique for gathering human intelligence. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Hagsand, Angelica, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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A survey of police officers encounters with sober, alcohol- and drug-intoxicated suspects in Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 28:5, s. 523-544
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alcohol-related crimes are very common globally, including in Scandinavia. Despite this, no survey to date has examined the prevalence of alcohol- and drug-intoxicated suspects in Sweden specifically, or which procedures police use when interacting with this suspect group. Given the current lack of (inter)national policy guidelines on how to interrogate intoxicated persons, it is important to examine law enforcement’s contact with this potentially vulnerable group in different contexts. This was the aim of the present study. Data were collected via an online survey sent out to Swedish police investigators and 133 officers responded in total. A large majority (87%) of responses indicated that it was common or very common to encounter intoxicated suspects, but findings also suggest that police departments differ in their procedures for when and how to conduct investigations and interviews involving drunk suspects. Our findings support the need for (inter)national guidelines on how to interview intoxicated suspects and the need for more scientific studies on how alcohol affects suspect’s memory and decision making.
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| 27. |
- Hartwig, Maria, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Detecting deception in suspects: Verbal cues as a function of interview strategy
- 2011
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime & Law. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 17:7, s. 643-656
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research on deception has consistently shown that people are poor at detecting deception during interviews. Research on innocent and guilty suspects’ strategies and strategic use of evidence during interviews has shown that innocent suspects volunteer more information and provide even potentially incriminating details. This experiment examined verbal differences between innocent and guilty mock suspects (N = 96) as a function of veracity and interview style (Free recall, Probes, or Free recall plus Probes). Innocent (vs. guilty) suspects provided more crime-relevant information, and their statements were less likely to contradict the evidence, showing that statement-evidence inconsistency was a cue to deception. This cue to deception was more pronounced when the interview contained probes. Lie-catchers (N = 192) obtained an accuracy rate higher than chance (61.5%) for detecting deceptive denials. Implications for further research on verbal cues to deception are discussed.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Hildebrand Karlén, Malin, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol intoxicated eyewitnesses’ memory of intimate partner violence
- 2015
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 21:2, s. 156-171
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alcohol affects memory in many, and mostly negative, ways. This is a problem in legal contexts as many witnesses are alcohol intoxicated when taking part of the critical event. However, research is sparse regarding how, and under what circumstances, the reports of alcohol intoxicated witnesses differ from those of sober witnesses. This study investigated if alcohol intoxicated and sober eyewitnesses differ regarding completeness, accuracy, and type of information reported, as well as if gender influenced these variables. Eighty-seven healthy men (n=44) and women (n=43) received either an alcoholic beverage (0.7g/kg) or a control (juice) in a laboratory setting before viewing a film picturing intimate partner violence. Ten minutes after viewing the film, they were interviewed. Reports by alcohol intoxicated women were less complete, but as accurate, as sober women’s. In contrast, intoxicated and sober men did not differ regarding completeness or accuracy. Furthermore, compared to sober women, intoxicated women reported fewer actions but no difference was found between the groups regarding reported objects. At this moderate dose, alcohol affected women’s reports more than men’s, which may be because alcohol affects attention and memory consolidation more clearly at a lower dose for women than for men.
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| 30. |
- Hildebrand Karlén, Malin, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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The devil is not only in the details: gist and detail elaboration in intoxicated witnesses’ reports of interpersonal violence
- 2019
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 25:4, s. 319-344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The empirical base relating to alcohol’s effects on underlying memory mechanisms among witnesses is sparse. Therefore, the effect of alcohol intoxication on memory mechanisms was investigated, as well as how degree of intoxication and interview delay affected gist and detail elaboration in these witnesses’ reports. Participants (n = 136) were randomized to an alcohol group (men: 0.8 g/kg, women: 0.75 g/kg) (n = 70) or a control group (n = 66), given juice. After consumption, they witnessed an intimate partner violence-scenario, and performed tasks assessing memory mechanisms. Half of the intoxicated and sober groups were interviewed immediately. The remaining participants were interviewed one week later. Inter alia, intoxication decreased total gist recall and elaboration capacity. In general, high intoxication (BAC = 0.08–0.15) made witnesses report fewer gist categories, and also to elaborate them less, but there were differences in gist/detail elaboration between levels of intoxication due to emotional context. Less reported information among intoxicated witnesses was caused both by omitting parts of the scenario and to less detailed elaboration. Emotional context influenced reporting among intoxicated witnesses on a gist and detail level. However, intoxication had less impact on gist/detail-elaboration than did a one week delay before interview, suggesting that witnesses should be interviewed immediately, despite intoxication.
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| 31. |
- Joleby, Malin, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences and psychological health among children exposed to online child sexual abuse – a mixed methods study of court verdicts
- 2021
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime & Law. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 27:2, s. 159-181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cases of online child sexual abuse (OCSA) are increasing dramatically in number, but research on this relatively new type of crime and its psychological consequences is limited, leading to major challenges for the judiciary. The present mixed methods study investigated 98 legal cases of OCSA (children aged 7-17 years,M = 12.3,SD = 1.92) in Swedish District Courts to see if and how children's experiences and psychological health were described in the written verdicts. The results revealed that the children's psychological health was mentioned in less than half (48.0%) of the cases. Thematic analyses identified several potential vulnerability factors (e.g. poor psychological health, low self-esteem, loneliness) and several potential psychological consequences (e.g. psychological suffering, self-harming and/or suicidal behavior, internalized self-loathing, impaired relationships) among the children, all of which were similar to what research has shown among victims of offline CSA. The sexual abuse situation was often perceived as threatening, and many children felt that they had no other choice than to comply. In addition, the sexually abusive act was depicted as distressing and sometimes painful. In light of these findings, we suggest that OCSA should not be viewed as essentially different or less severe than offline CSA.
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| 32. |
- Jörgensen, Öyvind, et al.
(författare)
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Vem bör straffas och hur? Moraliska intuitioner och personliga världsbilders roll för synen på brott och straff
- 2023
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Routledge. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; , s. 58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research investigated the role of moral foundations and broader worldviews in judgments about why and how criminal offenders should be punished. In Study 1, Swedish law students (N = 103) and social science students (N = 130) evaluated how harsh the punishment for crimes that varied across three crime categories and five contexts should be. In Study 2, Swedish adults (N = 161) evaluated eight sentencing goals and thirteen sentencing methods. Humanism and individualizing intuitions were associated with higher punitiveness for crimes that involved a selfish motive or harm inflicted upon the victim and with increased focus on rehabilitation and counseling. Normativism and binding intuitions were associated with higher punitiveness when the damage was primarily material, less leniency when there were mitigating circumstances, and more focus on retribution, deterrence, restoration, incapacitation, denunciation, and imprisonment. The moral foundations predicted preferences concerning sentence goals and methodsbetter while the worldviews predicted punitiveness better. The results show that we need to take both people’s moral foundations and their broader worldviews into consideration to understand why and how they think criminals should be punished.
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| 33. |
- Kamorowski, Jennifer, et al.
(författare)
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'He seems odd': the effects of risk-irrelevant information and actuarial risk estimates on mock jurors' perceptions of sexual recidivism risk
- 2022
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Ingår i: Psychology Crime & Law. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 28:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous research has shown that mock and actual jurors give little weight to actuarial sexual offending recidivism risk estimates when making decisions regarding civil commitment for so-called sexually violent predators (SVPs). We hypothesized that non-risk related factors, such as irrelevant contextual information and jurors' information-processing style, would influence mock jurors' perceptions of sexual recidivism risk. This preregistered experimental study examined the effects of mock jurors' (N = 427) need for cognition (NFC), irrelevant contextual information in the form of the offender's social attractiveness, and an actuarial risk estimate on mock jurors' estimates of sexual recidivism risk related to a simulated SVP case vignette. Mock jurors exposed to negative risk-irrelevant characteristics of the offender estimated sexual recidivism risk as higher than mock jurors exposed to positive information about the offender. However, this effect was no longer significant after mock jurors had reviewed Static-99R actuarial risk estimate information. We found no support for the hypothesis that the level of NFC moderates the relationship between risk-irrelevant contextual information and risk estimates. Future research could explore additional individual characteristics or attitudes among mock jurors that may influence perceptions of sexual recidivism risk and insensitivity to actuarial risk estimates.
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| 34. |
- Korkman,, et al.
(författare)
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White paper on forensic child interviewing: research-based recommendations by the European Association of Psychology and Law
- 2024
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This white paper consists of evidence-based recommendations for conducting forensic interviews with children. The recommendations are jointly drafted by researchers in child interviewing active within the European Association of Psychology and Law and are focused on cases in which children are interviewed in forensic settings, in particular within investigations of child sexual and/or physical abuse. One particular purpose of the white paper is to assist the growing Barnahus movement in Europe to develop investigative practise that is science-based. The key recommendations entail the expertise required by interviewers, how interviews should be conducted and how interviewers should be trained. Interviewers are advised to use evidence-based interview protocols, engage in hypothesis-testing and record their interviews. The need to prepare the interview well and making efforts to familiarise the child with the interview situation and create rapport as well as acknowledging cultural factors and the possible need for interpretation is underscored, and a recommendation is made not to rely on dolls, body diagrams and the interpretation of drawings in the interviews. Online child interviewing is noted as showing promising results, but more research is warranted before conclusive recommendations can be made. Interviewers should receive specialised training and continuous feedback on their interviews.
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| 35. |
- Landström, Sara, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Credibility judgments in context: effects of emotional expression, presentation mode, and statement consistency
- 2019
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 25:3, s. 279-297
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, we examined the effects of complainant emotionality, presentation mode, and statement consistency on credibility judgments in an intimate partner abuse case. Male and female police trainees (N=172) assessed the credibility of a domestic abuse complainant who appeared either live or on video, and behaved in an emotional (displaying sadness and distress) or a neutral manner. In addition, the consistency of the statement with other evidence was manipulated. Live (vs. video) and consistent (vs. inconsistent) statements were perceived as more credible, and the presentation mode effect was mediated by participants’ felt compassion and approach/avoidance tendencies toward the complainant. As predicted, emotional (vs. neutral) demeanor increased perceived credibility through its effect on expectancy confirmation, but this effect appears to have been masked by other mechanisms (compassion and approach/avoidance) operating in the opposite direction. These findings highlight the need to consider multiple, sometimes conflicting, mechanisms underlying extra-legal influences on credibility judgments. Legal implications are discussed.
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
- Lardén, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Moral judgement, cognitive distortions and empathy in incarcerated delinquent and community control adolescents
- 2006
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 12:5, s. 453-462
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immature moral judgements, cognitive distortions and low empathy could contribute to criminal offending and are often targeted in interventions aimed at reducing risk of recidivism. We compared 58 delinquent 13 18-year-olds, incarcerated in youth homes in Sweden (29 males, 29 females) with 58 (29 males, 29 females) community control adolescents individually matched on age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic position. Self-report questionnaires examined moral judgement, cognitive distortions, and empathy. Delinquent adolescents exhibited less mature moral judgements and more cognitive distortions than control adolescents. However, no association between delinquency status and self-reported empathy was found. In addition, girls reported more mature moral judgements, less cognitive distortions and more empathy than boys did. Moral judgement and empathy were positively correlated and both measures were negatively correlated with cognitive distortions. Our data support the idea that moral judgement and cognitive distortions are important treatment targets for juvenile delinquents, whereas empathy may be less meaningful to address directly.
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| 38. |
- Laurell, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Deceptive behaviour and instrumental violence among psychopathic and non-psychopathic violent forensic psychiatric patients
- 2014
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Routledge. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 20:5, s. 467-479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Deceptive behaviour and instrumental violence are well-known psychopathic features and as such play important roles in the assessment of psychopathy. This study examined first, the nature of the violence committed by offenders that have been admitted to forensic psychiatric care and whether scores on the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV), Part 1, were associated with the instrumentality of violence. Second, we examined the proneness of offenders to re-frame the instrumentality in their past violent crimes, and whether this was associated with scores on the PCL:SV. The results show that the PCL:SV, Part 1 (interpersonal/affective features), was positively related to the officially coded instrumentality of the violent crimes. As expected, this association disappeared when the instrumentality was self-reported. However, the majority of the patients tended to exaggerate the reactivity of their violent crimes when it was self-reported, indicating that most offenders, independently of level of psychopathy, used deception when questioned about the characteristics of their past violent crimes. The reasons for, and implications of, the use of deception are discussed.
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| 39. |
- Lidén, Moa, et al.
(författare)
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From devil's advocate to crime fighter : confirmation bias and debiasing techniques in prosecutorial decision-making
- 2019
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 25:5, s. 494-526
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research examines the role of confirmation bias in prosecutorial decisions before, during and after the prosecution. It also evaluates whether confirmation bias is reduced by changing the decision maker between arrest and prosecution. In Experiment 1, Swedish prosecutors (N = 40) assessed 8 scenarios where they either decided themselves or were informed about a colleague's decision to arrest or not arrest a suspect. Participants then rated how trustworthy the suspect's statement was as well as the strength of new ambiguous evidence and the total evidence. They also decided whether to prosecute and what additional investigative measures to undertake. In Experiment 2 the same method was used with Law and Psychology students (N = 60). Overall, prosecutors' assessments before the prosecution indicated that they were able to act as their own devil's advocate. Also, their assessments while deciding about whether to prosecute were reasonably balanced. However, after pressing charges, they displayed a more guilt-confirming mindset, suggesting they then took on the role as crime fighters. This differed from the student sample in which higher levels of guilt confirmation was displayed in relation to arrested suspects consistently before, during and after a prosecution decision. The role of prosecutors' working experience is discussed.
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| 40. |
- Lidén, Moa, et al.
(författare)
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"Guilty, No Doubt" : Detention Provoking Confirmation Bias in Judges' Guilt Assessments and Debiasing Techniques
- 2019
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 25:3, s. 219-247
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research examines whether judges’ pretrial detention decisions trigger confirmation bias in their guilt assessments. It also tests two strategies to mitigate confirmation bias: (1) to have different judges decide about detention and guilt and (2) to reduce cognitive load by structuring the evaluation of evidence. In Experiment 1, Swedish judges (N = 64) read 8 scenarios in which they either decided themselves about detention or were informed about a colleague’s decision. Then, participants rated the defendant’s trustworthiness, the strength of each piece of evidence, the total evidence and decided about guilt. In Experiment 2, Law students (N = 80) either first rated each piece of evidence separately and then the total evidence (structured evaluation) or only the total evidence (unstructured evaluation), and then decided about guilt. Overall, detained defendants were considered less trustworthy and when participants themselves detained, they rated the guilt consistent and total evidence as stronger and were more likely convict, compared to when a colleague had detained. The total evidence was considered stronger after unstructured than structured evaluations of the evidence but the evaluation mode did not influence guilt decisions. This suggests that changing decision maker holds greater debiasing potential than structuring evidence evaluation.
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| 41. |
- Lindqvist, Judit, et al.
(författare)
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Internal reliability and construct validity of the Novaco Anger Scale-1998-S in a sample of violent prison inmates in Sweden
- 2005
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 11:2, s. 223-237
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, the internal reliability and construct validity of the recently adapted Swedish version of the Novaco Anger Scale (NAS-1998-S; Lindqvist, Dderman, & Hellstrm, Social Behavior and Personality, 8, 773-788, 2003), as well as its scale correlations with demographic and criminality variables, were investigated. Construct validity was established by assessing the correlation pattern of the scales of NAS-1998-S with concurrent scales of similar and distinct constructs. Ninety-five male violent prisoners, ranging in age from 18 to 67 years, participated. The results demonstrated good internal reliability, consistent intrascale relationships, and appropriate construct validity of NAS-1998-S. The number of previous convictions had a moderate negative relationship with the capacity of control. Age and education correlated negatively with the NAS-1998-S scales, except Regulation. In addition to psychometric issues, the results were discussed from a clinical perspective on the offender population.
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| 42. |
- Luke, Timothy, 1989, et al.
(författare)
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The shift-of-strategy (SoS) approach: using evidence strategically to influence suspects’ counter-interrogation strategies
- 2023
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 29:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Shift-of-Strategy (SoS) approach is an extension of the Strategic Use of Evidence technique. In the SoS approach, interviewers influence suspects’ strategies to encourage suspects to become more forthcoming with information by challenging discrepancies between their statements and the available evidence, in a non-accusatory manner. Our aim was to test the effectiveness of two variations of the SoS approach, one in which the interviewer responded immediately to any discrepancies with the evidence (Reactive) and one in which the interviewer only responded to severe discrepancies (Selective). We predicted that the SoS approach conditions would be more effective at eliciting new information from mock suspects, compared to direct questioning. In a laboratory experiment, N = 300 mock suspects committed a simulated crime and were interviewed using one of the two versions of the SoS approach or with an interviewing approach that did not involve the presentation of evidence. The Reactive version of the SoS approach was more effective than direct questioning at eliciting new information from mock suspects. The Reactive technique also led participants to change their strategies during the interview. The present experiment provided initial support for the core principles of the SoS approach.
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| 43. |
- Luke, Timothy, 1989, et al.
(författare)
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What have we learned about cues to deception? A survey of expert opinions
- 2023
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Researchers have accumulated a substantial body of empirical work studying observable behaviors that might distinguish truth tellers from liars – that is, cues to deception. We report a survey of N=50 deception cue experts – active researchers on deception – who provided their opinions on three issues: (1) What cues distinguish between truthful and deceptive statements? (2) What moderators influence the magnitude and direction of cues to deception? (3) What explanatory mechanisms of deception cues are best supported by research? The experts displayed agreement on few issues. Expert opinion on cues to deception, potential moderators, and explanatory mechanisms is mixed and often conflicting. The single issue on which more than 80% of experts agreed was that gaze aversion is not generally diagnostic of deception. This lack of consensus suggests that substantial work remains to be done before broad agreement can be established. It follows that any practical recommendation advocating the use of a specific deception cue cannot be widely representative of expert opinion.
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| 44. |
- Magnusson, Mikaela, 1992, et al.
(författare)
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Forensic interviewers' experiences of interviewing children of different ages
- 2020
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 26:10, s. 967-989
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increased knowledge about practitioners’ experiences of conducting forensic child interviews may provide valuable insights into the perceived challenges they encounter when questioning children. This mixed-methods study examined Swedish practitioners’ views on different interviewing components (ground rules, rapport building, practice narratives, question types), props, strategies for adapting their methods for preschool-aged children, and perceptions of challenges interviewing children of differing ages. Eighty-eight specialized forensic child interviewers responded to a national survey. The data was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Attitudes regarding different interviewing components were mainly in line with current research recommendations. Prop use was primarily limited to drawings, photographs, and stressreduction tools. A variety of strategies were used to adapt the existing protocol for questioning young children, indicating a potential need for additional standardized guidelines for this age group. Furthermore, the perceived barriers for children to disclose and the demands placed on the interviewer varied across age groups. Since all children should have the right to be questioned with age appropriate methods, we need to continue to develop ways of adapting practitioners’ interviewing strategies to match children’s developmental levels. To reach this aim, researchers may benefit from taking into account the concerns raised by forensic child interviewers.
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| 45. |
- Magnusson, Mikaela, 1992, et al.
(författare)
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Taking the stand: Defendant statements in court cases of alleged sexual abuse against infants, toddlers and preschoolers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 24:7, s. 744-759
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Investigating and adjudicating allegations of child sexual abuse are challenging tasks. In the present study, we examined defendant statements concerning charges of sexual abuse against young children in Swedish district court cases (87 defendants, 140 child complainants, tried between January 2010 to December 2015). A main objective was to test predictive factors for admissions of guilt using inferential statistical analyses. Furthermore, using qualitative thematical analysis, we sought to identify common patterns in the defendants’ explanations to the allegation. Approximately one-third of the defendants (31%) pleaded guilty during trial. Admissions of guilt were more likely if the defendant was young, if the child was young at the onset of abuse, if the child and perpetrator had an extrafamilial relationship, and if the defendant possessed child pornography. A conflict with the person who made the report (e.g. a custody dispute), a testimony from the child, a direct eyewitness, or an informal disclosure recipient were significantly more common in cases of denials. In the qualitative analysis, a range of alternative explanations behind the abuse allegations were identified. Legal professionals and investigators may benefit from considering these alternative hypotheses during their investigative and judicial work.
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| 46. |
- Martire, Kristy A., et al.
(författare)
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The Effect of Ambiguous Question Wording on Jurors’ Presumption of Innocence
- 2020
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 26:5, s. 419-437
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research suggests that jurors misunderstand the presumption of innocence. However, past studies have not asked participants to estimate the defendant’s probability of guilt, setting aside the fact of charge and indictment. We conduct two studies to explore the impact of this question wording on estimates of the probability of guilt/innocence by jury-eligible Mturk workers. In Experiment 1 (N = 275), question wording (legal, factual and ambiguous) was varied within participants and revealed significantly higher estimates of innocence in response to the legal than the factual or ambiguously worded question. In Experiment 2 (N = 303), question wording was manipulated between participants both before (prior) and after (posterior) the presentation of evidence. Prior estimates of guilt were significantly lower in the legal than factual or ambiguous conditions. Question wording also predicted posteriors, and these in turn predicted verdicts. These results suggest that imprecise wording may have contributed to concerns about jurors’ understanding of the presumption of innocence, highlighting the need for further research.
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| 47. |
- Nordvall, Olov, et al.
(författare)
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Self-reported and performance-based measures of executive functions in interned youth
- 2017
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Routledge journals, Taylor & Francis ltd. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 23:3, s. 240-253
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study address three questions: (a) Do interned adolescents exhibit general or specific deficits in the core executive functions, as compared to an age-matched control group? (b) Do interned adolescents report more executive problems in everyday life, as compared to an age-matched control group? And (c) are performance-based measures of executive functions related to self-reported executive problems? Thirty-one interned youths and 40 non-interned controls participated in the study. To this end, we measured the three constituents (inhibition, shifting, and updating) of the Unity/Diversity model of executive functioning, as well as the participants' self-reported everyday executive functioning using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions scale. The interned group performed less well compared to the control group on the majority of performance-based tasks but did not show more pronounced deficits in any one executive function, reflective of a more general deficit. Compared to the controls, the interned adolescents also reported more dysfunction in executive behaviors related to the ability to inhibit action, behavioral flexibility, working memory, and the ability to follow through with tasks. Overall, correlations between self-report and performance-based measures were weak. These findings suggest that performance-based and self-report measures may assess different, albeit important, aspects of executive functioning.
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| 48. |
- Nordvall, Olov, et al.
(författare)
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Self-reported and performance-based measures of executive functions in interned youth
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - : Routledge. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 23:3, s. 240-253
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study address three questions: (a) Do interned adolescents exhibit general or specific deficits in the core executive functions, as compared to an age-matched control group? (b) Do interned adolescents report more executive problems in everyday life, as compared to an age-matched control group? And (c) are performance-based measures of executive functions related to self-reported executive problems? Thirty-one interned youths and 40 non-interned controls participated in the study. To this end, we measured the three constituents (inhibition, shifting, and updating) of the Unity/Diversity model of executive functioning, as well as the participants’ self-reported everyday executive functioning using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions scale. The interned group performed less well compared to the control group on the majority of performance-based tasks but did not show more pronounced deficits in any one executive function, reflective of a more general deficit. Compared to the controls, the interned adolescents also reported more dysfunction in executive behaviors related to the ability to inhibit action, behavioral flexibility, working memory, and the ability to follow through with tasks. Overall, correlations between self-report and performance-based measures were weak. These findings suggest that performance-based and self-report measures may assess different, albeit important, aspects of executive functioning.
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| 49. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Gathering human intelligence via repeated interviewing: further empirical tests of the Scharff technique
- 2017
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 23:7, s. 666-681
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research on investigative interviewing has only recently started to compare the efficacy of different techniques for gathering intelligence from human sources. So far the research has focused exclusively on sources interviewed once, thus overlooking that most sources are interviewed multiple times. The present study attempts to remedy this gap in the literature. Students (N = 66) took on the role of semi-cooperative sources, holding incomplete information about an upcoming terrorist attack. The sources were informed that they would be interviewed at least once, and that additional interviews might follow. Half of the sources were interviewed on three occasions with the Scharff technique (consisting of five tactics), and the other half was interviewed on three occasions using the so-called direct approach (i.e. openended and specific questions). Collapsing the outcome over the three interviews, the Scharff technique resulted in significantly more new information compared to the direct approach. Furthermore, sources interviewed by the direct approach overestimated how much new information they had revealed, whereas the sources interviewed by the Scharff technique underestimated their contribution (although not significantly so). The current study advances previous research by further contextualizing the tests of the efficacy of human intelligence gathering techniques.
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| 50. |
- Roos Af Hjelmsäter, Emma, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of odour reinstatement on children's episodic memory
- 2015
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Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 21:5, s. 471-481
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Children's memory reports are often sparse, which increases the need for efficient interview methods. The present study investigated whether odour reinstatement can aid children's memory and increase the amount of information recalled from an experienced event. Children (N = 106, mean age 10 years, 8 months) experienced a magic show where a vanilla odour was present and were interviewed about their memory of the event either one week, or six months, after the magic show. During the interview, half of the children re-experienced the same vanilla odour. In contrast to studies on adult participants, no odour-reinstatement effect was found with the child participants in the present study. On the other hand, odour reinstatement reduced the children's ratings of how strong their emotions were during the event. Thus, odour reinstatement may affect different forensically relevant factors, and this should be considered in future research.
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