| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Landström, Sara, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Children’s testimony and the emotional victim effect
- 2015
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In: Legal and Criminological Psychology. - : Wiley. - 1355-3259 .- 2044-8333. ; 20:2, s. 365-383
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of (1) child victims’ emotional expression during testimony and (2) the camera perspective used to record the testimony, on judgements of credibility. Methods. Law students (N = 155 in Experiment 1; N = 86 in Experiment 2) watched a child harassment complainant provide a statement in an emotional or neutral manner, presented using different camera perspectives: balanced focus (i.e., a shot portraying an equal focus on the child complainant and the interviewer) versus picture-in-picture (PiP; i.e., a shot portraying only the child with an inset window depicting both the child and the interviewer in the corner of the screen) in Experiment 1 and PiP versus child focus (i.e., a shot depicting only the child) in Experiment 2. Results. Although no effect was found for camera perspective, the results provide support for an emotional victim effect (EVE); the child was perceived as more credible and truthful when communicating the statement in an emotional (vs. neutral) manner. Moreover, the results provide corroborating evidence for the assumption that the EVE rests on both cognitive (expectancy confirmation) and affective (compassion) mechanisms. Conclusions. These findings extend previous research by showing that the EVE and its underlying mechanisms apply to judgements of child complainants in the context of non sexual crimes and appear to be robust against variations of camera perspectives. Legal implications are discussed.
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| 3. |
- Landström, Sara, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Rättspraktikers inställning till modern ljud- och bildteknik i rättssalen : En rättspsykologisk studie
- 2012
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In: Svensk Juristtidning. - 0039-6591. ; :3, s. 197-218
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Processlagstiftningsreformen En modernare rättegång (EMR) har inneburit en ökad användning av modern teknik i rättsliga förfaranden. Frågan hur rättspraktiker uppfattar att denna teknik påverkar deras bedömningar av exempelvis trovärdighet är inte minst därför högaktuell.Rättspsykologiska studier har visat att förhör och förhörspersoner förmedlade genom ljud- och bilduppspelning (videouppspelning) eller ljud- och bildöverföring (videokonferens) bedöms som mindre trovärdiga och tillförlitliga än de som hörs på plats i rättssalen. De flesta av dessa studier har baserats på lekmäns bedömningar av fiktiva vittnesmål. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka rättspraktikers inställning till den moderna ljud- och bildtekniken, liksom vilken betydelse de anser att presentationsformatet har vid bedömningar av målsägandes tillförlitlighet och trovärdighet i brottmål. Studien utgörs av enkätsvar från 400 svenska rättspraktiker (poliser, nämndemän, åklagare och lagfarna domare).Studiens resultat visar att respondenterna överlag var positiva till såväl videokonferens som videoinspelade tingsrättsförhör. Som fördelar framhölls att tekniken kan vara till stor hjälp för målsägande genom att reducera deras stress och öka utsagornas korrekthet. I linje med tidigare forskning menade man dock att de som hörs på plats i rättssalen framstår som mer tillförlitliga och trovärdiga än de som hörs genom videokonferens eller uppspelad video. Respondenterna beskrev förhör på plats i rättssalen som bland annat mer levande och känslomässigt engagerande. Resultaten diskuteras avseende likheter och skillnader mellan olika grupper av rättspraktiker och konsekvenser av teknikens tillämpning inom rättsväsendet.
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| 4. |
- Lindgren, Sara, 1991, et al.
(author)
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Assessing Reliability of Verbal Statements in Swedish Courts: Judges' perception of the Supreme Court Criteria
- 2016
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In: The 12th Meeting of the NNPL in Sweden, September 23-24, 2016.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The aim of this mixed-method type of study was to evaluate Swedish judges’ perception of the use of the Supreme Court Criteria used for assessing reliability of verbal statements in legal cases. Judges from all over Sweden, in different stages of their career, participated in this study which was divided in two parts. In the first qualitative part, three semi-structured interviews with three different judges were held. The results were analysed thematically and showed skepticism to the use of guidelines as well as a gratefulness to have something to rely on. Situational factors and individual factors were lifted as influential to the usability of criteria. The second part of this study consisted of a web based survey created to acquire quantitative data. Results from the analysis will be presented.
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| 5. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Blame Attributions in Multiple Perpetrator Rape Cases: The Impact of Sympathy, Consent, Force, and Beliefs
- 2020
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In: Journal of Interpersonal Violence. - : SAGE Publications. - 0886-2605 .- 1552-6518. ; 35:23-24, s. 5336-5364
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Victims of multiple perpetrator rape (MPR) have been found to be an especially vulnerable group. This study examined effects of MPR and perpetrators’ use of force on attributions of victim and perpetrator blame. In two large experiments (total N = 2,928), Swedish community members read scenarios depicting an MPR and subsequently made several ratings of blame, rape myth acceptance (RMA), just world beliefs, sympathy for the victim, perception of consent, and trust in the legal system. Data were analyzed with a multianalytical approach using both analyses of variance as well as exploratory analyses. In Experiment 1, more blame was attributed to a victim of MPR than a victim of a lone perpetrator rape (LPR). In Experiment 2, no effect of used force was found on levels of attributed blame. In both experiments, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that four components, identified through principal components analyses, explained substantial shares of the variance in both victim and perpetrator blame. The best individual predictors were participants’ perception of consent, sympathy for the victim, and RMA. The study shows the importance of studying participants’ beliefs and attitudes about rape and that victim-blaming research needs both theory development and greater methodological awareness. Implications for victim support services are also discussed.
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| 6. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Hur ser yrkesverksamma på sitt arbete med våldtäktsutredningar och bemötande av utsatta?
- 2017
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In: Brottsoffermyndighetens viktimologiska forskarkonferens, Stockholm, 21 november, 2017.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Tidigare psykologisk forskning har fokuserat på varför utsatta inte vill anmäla sexualbrott eller väljer att hoppa av under utredningen. I denna studie svarade 237 polisanställda, åklagare och sjukvårdspersonal på en webbenkät med syfte att fånga upp deras perspektiv på att arbeta med våldtäktsfall och bemöta personer som blivit utsatta för våldtäkt. Frågorna gällde hinder i deras yrkesutförande, om de kunde se rutiner i deras arbete som kan uppfattas som stötande ur de utsattas perspektiv, förtroende för rättsväsendet, falska anmälningar samt kunskap om reaktioner och beteenden hos våldtäktsutsatta. De fick även ta ställning till våldtäktsmyter. Resultatet visade att äldre respondenter hade högre förtroende för rättssystemet än yngre, och att åklagare kände högre förtroende än polisanställda. Polisanställda ansåg att falska anmälningar var vanligare, jämfört med åklagare och sjukvårdspersonal. Detsamma gällde yngre respondenter och respondenter med högre acceptans av våldtäktsmyter.
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| 7. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Professionals’ perception of meeting rape victims and handling cases of rape
- 2017
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In: 59th Research Seminar, Nordiska samrådet för kriminologi (NSfK). Örenäs: 9-11 maj.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- As the final part of a three-year project regarding attitudes toward victims of rape, a survey study was conducted with the aim to gain knowledge concerning difficulties and possibilities in handlings of rape victims and rape cases. An online survey was sent out to professionals working within the police, the healthcare system and prosecutors across Sweden, who meet victims of rape through their daily work. We wanted to get the professionals’ perspective and wondered if they could contribute with knowledge concerning why rapes are not being reported and why so few of the reports proceed to court. Over 230 professionals took the survey. They answered questions concerning perceived obstacles for their work performance, their trust in the justice system, knowledge and further education in victim behaviour and reactions, suggestions for improved treatment of rape victims, how their work would be affected by a possibly broader legislation, and police officers’ view on giving information about counsel for an injured party at an early stage of the investigation. Participants also had to consider statements regarding myths about rape. Data was analysed both separate as well as across professions and the results from this study will be presented at the conference. The title of the full project is Victim blaming in rape cases: Empirical studies of understudied situations. It is partly financed by the Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority and conducted by researchers at the psychology department at the University of Gothenburg. The aim of the project was to enhance knowledge about blame attributions in rape cases and to use variables, situations and group of participants not previously included in experimental studies.
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| 8. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Professionals’ perceptions of handling cases of rape
- 2017
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In: The 13th meeting of the Nordic Network for research on Psychology and Law (NNPL). Katowice, Poland: 22-23 September.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A survey study was conducted with the aim to gain knowledge concerning difficulties and possibilities in handlings of rape victims and rape cases among Swedish professionals. An online survey was taken by 237 police employees, prosecutors and healthcare personnel, who meet victims of rape in their daily work. The survey included questions concerning obstacles for the respondents work performance, trust in the justice system, false reports and further education in victim behaviour and reactions. The respondents were also asked to provide suggestions for improved treatment of rape victims and cases of rape, and police officers’ view on giving information about counsel for an injured party at an early stage of the investigation. Respondents also had to consider statements regarding rape myths. Data was analysed both separate as well as across professions. Trust in the justice system was affected by respondent age and profession. Older respondents had higher trust in the justice system and prosecutors had significantly higher levels of trust in the justice system compared to police employees. Police employees believed there were significantly more false reports of rape compared to both prosecutors and health care personnel. This was also true for younger respondents (compared to older) and respondents with higher levels of rape myth acceptance (compared with lower levels). More results and discussion about implications will be presented at the conference.
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| 9. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Victim blame in single versus multiple perpetrator rape cases
- 2016
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In: The 26th meeting of the European Association of psychology and Law (EAPL), Toulouse, France, July 5-8, 2016.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Substantial research has been conducted in the field of victim blaming, but still we do not fully understand the complexity of how and why people tend to blame rape victims. Two important aspects that have been more or less neglected in previous research within the field of victim blame are multiple perpetrator rape cases and the level of force used by the perpetrator(s). Since the prevalence of acquaintance rape is higher than of stranger rape, we conducted two experiments using a setting in which rapes may occur but not typically included in previous research. According to Swedish legislation, a rape situation with more than one perpetrator is considered an aggravated crime, irrespective of the level of force used. However, we wanted to examine if the level of force used and/or number of perpetrators had any impact on levels of blame attributed to the victim. To investigate this we conducted an online multi-experimental study with a Swedish community sample. Participants read a scenario describing a rape and thereafter provided ratings of victim blame, Belief in a Just World and Rape Myth Acceptance, as well as their trust in the Swedish justice system and self-experience of sexual victimization. All scenarios described the same four people and the relation between them, colleagues, was held constant. In the first experiment (N = 1704), number of perpetrators (one or three) was manipulated. We used number of perpetrators and participant gender as independent variables and victim blame as the dependent variable. In the second experiment we held number of perpetrators (three) constant but manipulated the level of force used. Level of force and participant gender were the independent variables and victim blame the dependent variable. At the conference in Toulouse we will present the results from our ongoing statistical analyses, in the hope of bringing new, important knowledge of victim blaming attitudes.
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| 10. |
- Alfredsson, Helen, 1975, et al.
(author)
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Blame attribution in a stranger rape case: Perpetrator characteristics and participant gender
- 2011
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In: Society of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, conference 27-29 June, 2011, NYC..
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In rape blame research perpetrator characteristics is understudied. The relative independence of perpetrator blame and victim blame is also unclear. Using a community sample (N=161), we investigated participant gender, perpetrator age and previous conviction influencing blame attributions using a vignette methodology. Perpetrator age had no effect, but interactions were found between participant gender and perpetrator previous conviction: men attributed more victim blame and less perpetrator blame when the perpetrator had a previous conviction. For women the effect was reversed. Results indicate that increased perpetrator blame is associated to decreased victim blame. Moreover, perpetrator characteristics are relevant in blame attribution research.
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| 11. |
- Alfredsson, Helen, 1975, et al.
(author)
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Effects of perpetrator characteristics and participants belief in a just world on blame attribution of rape victims
- 2011
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In: the 21th Conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL), 2010, Miami..
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rape victims are often the subject of secondary victimization when being blamed for their assaults. In an experiment using a community sample (N=161), we investigated the effect of perpetrator characteristics; age and previous conviction, participants gender and belief in a just world on blame attributions using a vignette methodology. Results show that female participants attributed most victim blame when the perpetrator had a previous conviction, although male participants attributed most victim blame when the perpetrator had no such history. It seems as features of the perpetrator can influence allocation of victim blame and that gender of the observer also matters.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Ask, Karl, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Trovärdighet
- 2021
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In: Handbok i rättspsykologi (andra upplagan). - Stockholm : Liber. - 9789147113064 ; , s. 374-390
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ordet trovärdighet nämns ofta i samma andetag som tillförlitlighet, och därför är det lätt att få uppfattningen att orden är synonymer. Det finns dock viktiga skillnader mellan de båda begreppen, även om det råder oenighet kring exakt vari skillnaderna består. Ett av syftena med detta kapitel är därför att reda ut vad trovärdighet är och hur det skiljer sig från andra närbesläktade begrepp. Att trovärdighet kan vara avgörande i domstolsförhandlingar framgår tydligt av hur domstolar redogör för sin värdering av muntliga utsagor. Kapitlet ger därför inblick i hur trovärdighetsbegreppet används i svensk rättslig praxis och redogör för några faktorer som kan påverka om målsäganden, tilltalade och vittnen upplevs som trovärdiga eller ej.
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| 14. |
- Ask, Karl, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Why emotions matter: A test of stereotype and empathy accounts of the 'emotional victim effect'
- 2009
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In: 19th Conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law, 2-5 September, Sorrento, Italy.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It has been shown repeatedly that rape victims displaying controlled behavior when recounting the crime are judged as less credible than victims displaying negative emotions. Researchers have assumed that this is a result of stereotypes about crime victim reactions, but the actual mechanism has never been tested directly. In this paper, an alternative account is presented, proposing that the advantage of the emotional victim could lie in its ability to invoke stronger empathic-emotional reactions in the observer. The two accounts were pitted against each other in an experiment: Should the stereotype account be correct, then placing the observer under cognitive load would increase the effect of a victim’s emotional display. In contrast, should the empathy account be correct, then cognitive load would reduce the effect. One hundred eighty-nine police trainees watched a videotaped statement of an actress portraying a rape victim. The victim’s emotional display (emotional vs. neutral) and observers’ cognitive load while watching the statement (additional memory task vs. no memory task) were manipulated. Results showed that the emotional victim was believed more than the neutral victim, and that the effect was stronger under cognitive load. In addition, the effect was fully mediated by the match between the woman’s actual behavior and observers’ expectations. No evidence for a meditational role of observers’ own emotional reactions was found. In sum, the study provides empirical support for the traditional stereotype account, and has clear practical implications, showing that cognitive load increases the risk of attributional errors in judgments of victim credibility.
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| 15. |
- Ask, Karl, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Why emotions matter: Expectancy violation and affective response mediate the emotional victim effect
- 2010
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In: Law and Human Behavior. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 1573-661X .- 0147-7307. ; 34:5, s. 392-401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mechanisms behind the ‘emotional victim effect’ (i.e., that the emotionality of a rape victim’s demeanor affects perceived credibility) are relatively unexplored. In this article, a previously neglected mechanism—observers’ affective response to the victim—is proposed as an alternative to the traditional expectancy-violation account. The emotional victim effect was replicated in an experiment with a sample of police trainees (N = 189), and cognitive load was found to increase the magnitude of the effect. Importantly, both compassionate affective response and expectancy violation actively mediated the emotional victim effect when the other mechanism was controlled for. These findings extend previous research on credibility judgments by introducing a ‘hot’ cognitive component in the judgment process. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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| 16. |
- Calado, Bruna, et al.
(author)
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Implanting false autobiographical memories for repeated events
- 2021
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In: Memory. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0965-8211 .- 1464-0686. ; 29:10, s. 1320-1341
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Research to date has exclusively focused on the implantation of false memories for single events. The current experiment is the first proof of concept that false memories can be implanted for repeated autobiographical experiences using an adapted false memory implantation paradigm. We predicted that false memory implantation approaches for repeated events would generate fewer false memories compared to the classic implantation method for single events. We assigned students to one of three implantation conditions in our study: Standard, Repeated, and Gradual. Participants underwent three interview sessions with a 1-week interval between sessions. In the Standard condition, we exposed participants to a single-event implantation method in all three interviews. In the Repeated condition, participants underwent a repeated-event implantation method in the three interviews. The Gradual condition also consisted of a repeated-event implantation method, however, in the first interview alone, we suggested to participants that they had experienced the false narrative once. Surprisingly, within our sample, false memories rates in the Standard condition were not higher compared to the Repeated and Gradual conditions. Although sometimes debated, our results imply that false memories for repeated events can be implanted in lab conditions, likely with the same ease as false memories for single events.
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| 17. |
- Calado, Bruna, et al.
(author)
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Remembering what never occurred? Children’s false memories for repeated experiences
- 2018
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In: In-Mind. - 1877-5306. ; 5:37
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Research has demonstrated that children can be as consistent as adults when it comes to their capacity of producing reliable statements. However, their testimonies can sometimes be riddled with falsities caused by unintentional errors made by practitioners when conducting interviews. These mistakes, such as providing information that was not divulged by the interviewee and coercing them to respond to a question in a specific way, might compromise the quality of the statement. This can induce the interviewee to form memories of non-experienced events (i.e. false memories). Lab studies have shown that people can create rich and compelling false memories, even for highly negative events. In legal cases, these events are sometimes remembered as a repeated experience. How can this be? Can people create false memories of events that they believe happened to them numerous times? This article aims to clarify how easily such false memories can be formed. Specifically, we will focus on events that allegedly happened repeatedly, focusing on the formation of children’s false memories.
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| 18. |
- Clemens, Franziska, 1981, et al.
(author)
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Skulking around the dinosaur: Eliciting cues to children’s deception via strategic disclosure of evidence.
- 2010
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In: Applied Cognitive Psychology. ; 24, s. 925-940
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Research has shown that cues to deception are more salient as an effect of strategic use of evidence (SUE) during interviews. This study examined the feasibility of the SUE-technique for eliciting cues to children's deception. Experiment 1 investigated verbal cues to deception as a function of early vs. late disclosure of evidence. Eighty-four children (12–14 years) either guilty or innocent of a mock crime were interviewed. As predicted, deceptive statements were significantly more inconsistent with the evidence than truthful statements, and this was more pronounced as a function of late compared to early disclosure of evidence. In Experiment 2, adult observers (N=168) made veracity assessments of the videotaped statements. Observers in the late disclosure condition achieved an accuracy rate higher than chance (63.1%), whereas accuracy rates in the early disclosure condition were at chance level (56%). Accuracy rates were significantly higher for truthful (70.2%), than deceptive statements (48.8%).
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| 19. |
- Clemens, Franziska, 1981, et al.
(author)
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Skulking around the dinosaur statue: Detecting children's deception via strategic disclosure of evidence
- 2008
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In: Paper presented at the 5th meeting of the Nordic Network for Research in Psychology and Law (NNPL), 10-11 October 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Since previous studies have shown the potential of late disclosure of evidence as a deception detection tool, this study examined whether or not these results can be replicated with children as liars and truth-tellers. It was hypothesized that the deception detection accuracy in the late disclosure condition would be significantly higher than in the early disclosure condition. In an experiment, 168 adult observers judged the veracity of 84 children (12–14 years), interviewed separately about a mock crime they had (liars) or had not (truth-tellers) committed. In half of the interviews the evidence was disclosed early, in the other half late. The accuracy rate was 56% for the early disclosure condition, and 63.1% for the late disclosure condition (a non-significant difference). Furthermore, the observers were better at detecting truthful statements (70.2%), than lies (48.8%). We will discuss the results in relation to past research and in terms of statement-evidence inconsistency.
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| 20. |
- De La Fuente Vilar, Alejandra, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Gaining Witness Cooperation: An International Survey of Investigative Interviewers
- 2019
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In: Paper presentation at the European Association of Psychology and Law conference, Santiago de Compostela, Spain..
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The application of interviewing strategies to gather accurate and detailed witness accounts is highly dependent on witness cooperation. However, some witnesses who recall the crime are unwilling to be involved in the criminal investigation. For example, some uncooperative witnesses are resistant to disclose valid information to aid the case, while others who have been intimidated or are hostile towards the police are simply reluctant to talk. Therefore, lack of witness cooperation represents a significant obstacle to law enforcement gathering witness evidence. Furthermore, emergent research indicates that lack of cooperation is detrimental to the amount and accuracy of information disclosed by witnesses, and that it affects how investigative interviews are conducted. Thus, we focus this research on how practitioners overcome lack of witness cooperation and interview initially uncooperative witnesses. Study purpose: To conduct the first examination of current investigative interviewing of uncooperative witnesses from an international practitioner’s perspective. We examined practitioner’s beliefs regarding and witnesses’ motives to cooperate and not cooperate in criminal investigations. In addition, we aimed to learn the prevalence and relevance of this topic according to their experience, as well as which strategies practitioners believe to be effective specifically to interview witnesses who are unwilling to cooperate and disclose information. Method: Police officers who conduct witness interviews took part in an online survey. Participants (N = 227) were investigative interviewers across different police services in The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Australia. Results: Data are currently being translated, analysed and will be presented at the conference. We expect interviewing of uncooperative witnesses to be different across countries according to police interviewing experience, training, institutional demands and each country’s tradition of interviewing, whether information gathering or accusatorial. Specifically, we predict that practitioners’ belief that witnesses ought to cooperate, together with lack of training and flexibility influence the perception of effectiveness of interviewing strategies that in fact interfere with the task of gaining and maintaining cooperation (e.g., using closed and probative questions). In addition, we expect that current practice does not target how to increase motivation to cooperate and is detrimental to witnesses’ memory processes (e.g., poor rapport building). Lastly, practitioners aiming to overcome lack of witness cooperation may be resorting to interviewing strategies which have unknown consequences for the validity and reliability of witness accounts, such as legal warnings about lying and withholding information, moral appeals, or anonymity incentives. Conclusions: Findings from this research are of vital importance to reflect and improve the quality of witness interviewing by identifying and changing practice that does not promote cooperation or increases witness reluctance to disclose information. In addition, understanding how interviewers’ beliefs regarding witness cooperation (and lack thereof) affect information gathering during investigative interviews is necessary to inform interviewing training and lines of research that examine the effects of current practice on witness accounts considering their importance to advance criminal investigations and as evidence in court. Most importantly, given the practical relevance of this topic, future research examining field data is warranted to examine the extent to which practitioner’s beliefs, perceptions and experiences of interviewing uncooperative witnesses affect real witness interviewing practice.
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| 21. |
- De La Fuente Vilar, Alejandra, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Memory of Uncooperative Witnesses
- 2017
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In: Pitch presentation during the 2017 conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law in Mechelen, Belgium.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Introduction Despite the importance of their testimony, witnesses rarely provide sufficient information (Kebbell & Milne, 1998). However, witnesses’ reports are not necessarily a representation of memory. In fact, lack of reporting does not equal to lack of memory. But, there is no empirical evidence on whether memory is protected if it is not reported. This will be the first study to examine whether level of cooperation during an investigative interview affects memory for the target event. Specifically, we aim to learn whether memory traces are conserved when witnesses are uncooperative. Method During an in-person session, all participants will watch a mock-crime video clip and serve as eyewitnesses. They will be randomly assigned to only one of four interviewing conditions: control, enhanced cooperative style and two uncooperative style groups. Participants in the uncooperative groups will be told that the police believe they also participated in the crime. It is expected that participants to avoid self-incrimination will be less cooperative than those who are independent witnesses. Further, those in the enhanced cooperative condition will receive an extra incentive to facilitate disclosure. After a week, only one of the uncooperative groups will be debriefed. All groups will be interviewed again. Memory performance will be measured in both interviews. Results A literature review regarding memory for the unsaid (i.e., what is remembered and not disclosed) shows mixed results. Lack of disclosure of information can be accompanied, or not, by remembering. Thus, not reporting may lead to forgetting, but also to memory facilitation (Stone, Coman, Brown, Koppel & Hirst, 2012). As this is an exploratory study, no directional hypotheses are formulated. Preliminary data will be presented during the conference. Discussion Learning about how interview cooperation style affects memory and how this can be best recalled at a later stage is of particular relevance.
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| 22. |
- De La Fuente Vilar, Alejandra, 1988, et al.
(author)
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The Burden of Unfulfilled Expectations: Challenges of Interviewing Witnesses who Fail to Cooperate
- 2019
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In: Paper presentation at the Conference of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group, Stavern, Norway..
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Individuals who witness a crime are expected to cooperate and disclose information if interviewed by the authorities. However, police report frequently encountering witnesses who are unwilling to become involved in the investigative process. Despite the challenge lack of witness cooperation represents for investigators, it has received little scientific attention. We examined the extent to which investigator’s expectations of witness cooperation affect interviewing strategies and questions used in an investigative interview. Participants (N = 110) interviewed either a perceived cooperative, uncooperative or a neutral witness. Participants as investigators interviewed a confederate who acted as an uncooperative witness. Data are currently being analysed and will be presented at the conference. We predict that interviewer’s a priori beliefs of witness cooperation will activate a process of confirmation bias, by which investigators will use more closed, leading, and probing questions (vs. open free and cued recall) when expecting low levels of cooperation (vs. higher levels of cooperation) from the witness. Similarly, investigators will use more accusatorial over information-gathering interviewing strategies as expectations of the level of witness cooperation decreases. Understanding how interviewer’s expectations of witness cooperation affect information gathering during investigative interviews is relevant to inform interviewing practice that promotes cooperation and facilitates disclosure.
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| 23. |
- De La Fuente Vilar, Alejandra, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Uncooperative Witnesses and their Inclination to Disclose Information
- 2018
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In: European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL) Conference. Turku, Finland: 26-29 June 2018.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Objectives Police rely on witness testimony to advance criminal investigations; however, witnesses do not always cooperate. Despite the importance of witness cooperation for gathering information during investigative interviews, it has received little scrutiny. We examined the extent to which witness cooperation affects information disclosure, and how lack of cooperation affects the reliability of witness testimony. Method Participants (N=139) watched a mock-crime video and were interviewed twice over a two-week period. They were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: control, cooperative and two uncooperative groups. In the cooperative group, participants were informed they were key witnesses, whereas those in the control condition did not receive especial instructions. Participants in the uncooperative groups were told the police believed they participated in the crime, but before the second interview one of the uncooperative groups was informed they were not longer incriminated. The amount of information disclosed was measured in both interviews. Results Data is currently being analysed and will be presented at the conference. We predict that witness cooperation level will affect information disclosure during investigative interviews. Specifically, uncooperative interviewees will disclose less detailed information, and will omit crime relevant facts, compared to those in the cooperative and control conditions. Additionally, we will examine whether memory for initially unreported information is impaired by an initial uncooperative interview. Conclusion Understanding how witness cooperation affects information gathering during investigative interviews is relevant to examine the reliability of testimonies from uncooperative witnesses, and to inform interviewing practice that promotes cooperative reporting and facilitates disclosure.
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| 24. |
- Denault, Vincent, et al.
(author)
-
The Analysis of Nonverbal Communication: The Dangers of Pseudoscience in Security and Justice Contexts : Análisis de la comunicación no verbal: los peligros de la pseudociencia en entornos de seguridad y justicia
- 2020
-
In: Anuario de Psicología Jurídica. - : Colegio Oficial de la Psicologia de Madrid. - 1133-0740 .- 2174-0542. ; 30:1, s. 1-12
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For security and justice professionals (e.g., police officers, lawyers, judges), the thousands of peer-reviewed articles on nonverbal communication represent important sources of knowledge. However, despite the scope of the scientific work carried out on this subject, professionals can turn to programs, methods, and approaches that fail to reflect the state of science. The objective of this article is to examine (i) concepts of nonverbal communication conveyed by these programs, methods, and approaches, but also (ii) the consequences of their use (e.g., on the life or liberty of individuals). To achieve this objective, we describe the scope of scientific research on nonverbal communication. A program (SPOT; Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques), a method (the BAI; Behavior Analysis Interview) and an approach (synergology) that each run counter to the state of science are examined. Finally, we outline five hypotheses to explain why some organizations in the fields of security and justice are turning to pseudoscience and pseudoscientific techniques. We conclude the article by inviting these organizations to work with the international community of scholars who have scientific expertise in nonverbal communication and lie (and truth) detection to implement evidence-based practices.
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| 25. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Child sexual abuse investigations involving preschool-aged complainants: Which cases are prosecuted?
- 2017
-
In: The European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL) conference.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Introduction. Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are notoriously difficult to investigate and prosecute. Previous data from Swedish samples suggest that 10 - 15 % of reported cases are prosecuted, and several studies suggest that prosecution is less likely in investigations involving preschool-aged complainants compared to cases where the complainant is an older child. We aimed to investigate what is required for CSA cases involving preschool-aged complainants to be prosecuted. Method. Data from CSA cases involving preschool-aged children were analyzed (N = 147) using logistic regression. Results. Prosecuted cases were more likely to contain forensic evidence (documentation of abuse, DNA or a corroborative medical examination), while such evidence was not available in any discontinued case. Furthermore, cases were less likely to be prosecuted if there was a custodial dispute between the child’s parents as well as if the family had prior involvement from social services. Cases with more than one complainant were more likely to be prosecuted. Discussion. The results will be discussed in the light of previous research regarding the prosecution of CSA cases and we will offer some guiding suggestions to how these difficult investigations can be facilitated.
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| 26. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Court evaluations of young children's testimony in child sexual abuse cases
- 2018
-
In: Legal and Criminological Psychology. - : Wiley. - 1355-3259. ; 23:2, s. 176-191
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Prosecutors working with child sexual abuse (CSA) cases involving young children have raised concerns that reliability criteria from the Supreme Court of Sweden are holding children's testimony to impossible standards (e.g., expecting the child's testimony to be long, rich in detail and spontaneous). This study aimed to address these concerns by investigating how District Courts and Courts of Appeal employ said criteria in their testimonial assessments of young child complainants. Methods Court documents from District Courts (n = 100) and Courts of Appeal (n = 45) in CSA cases involving 100 children age 7 years and under were analysed with respect to the courts’ testimonial assessments. Results Testimonial assessments were more frequently referenced in acquitting verdicts and in cases with evidence of low corroborative value. Richness in detail was the most frequently used reliability criterion, followed by spontaneity. Most criteria were used in favour of the children's testimony. However, the length criterion was typically used against the reliability of the children's testimony. Conclusions Our findings confirm prosecutors’ concerns that criteria from the Supreme Court are frequently used in evaluations of young children's testimony. This is troublesome, as some criteria do not correspond to current research on young children's witness abilities. For example, compared to testimony given by older children or adults, testimony provided by a young child is typically not long or rich in detail. We encourage prosecutors to extend their own knowledge on young children's capability as witnesses and present this to the court.
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| 27. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
"It doesn't work at all, that's my experience" : Swedish forensic interviewers' views on interpreter-mediated child interviews
- 2022
-
In: International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. - : Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. - 0145-2134 .- 1873-7757. ; 127
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Legal practitioners have expressed concerns regarding the quality of interpreter mediated forensic interviews with child witnesses. Objective: This mixed-methods study aimed to examine Swedish forensic interviewers experiences of conducting child interviews via a language interpreter. Participants and setting: Forty-one forensic interviewers from the Swedish Police Authority with experience conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews participated in a digital survey. Methods: Their responses were analyzed using both qualitative (thematic and content analyses) and quantitative (descriptive and inferential statistics) approaches. Results: The forensic interviewers general experiences of conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews were negative. Limited access to authorized legal interpreters and doubts regarding the accuracy of interpretation were described as major obstacles in these investigations. The presence of an interpreter could negatively impact childrens disclosure process and limit their chances of expressing their views during legal proceedings. Conclusions: According to Swedish forensic interviewers, the quality of interpreter-mediated child interviews urgently needs to be addressed. Our results are consistent with previous surveys from Australia and the United States, highlighting the international relevance of these topics. Future improvements are vital to ensure that all children are provided an equal right to be heard during criminal investigations, regardless of the native language.
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| 28. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases Involving Preschool-Aged Children: A Study of Swedish Cases from 2010 to 2014
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1053-8712 .- 1547-0679. ; 27:7, s. 832-851
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alleged child sexual abuse against preschool-aged children is often considered one of the most challenging cases for a prosecutor to handle. The aim of the current study was to examine differences between prosecuted and discontinued cases of alleged sexual abuse of preschool-aged children. Data from Swedish criminal cases of alleged sexual abuse of children ages 2–6 issued from 2010 to 2014 were analyzed (N=130). Prosecuted cases were more likely to contain forensic evidence (documentation of abuse, corroborative DNA evidence, or a corroborative medical examination), or a confession from the suspect, while such evidence was not available in any discontinued case. Furthermore, cases where the child was older, where the prosecutor had decided to conduct an interview with the child, and where there was more than one alleged victim were more likely to be prosecuted. Factors that were associated with a decreased likelihood of prosecution were ongoing custody disputes between parents, foster care placements prior to the abuse, and if the report concerned a boy. Boys and younger children were also less likely to be interviewed. The results suggest that prosecution of sexual abuse cases involving preschool-aged children remains difficult and that there is room for improvements in these investigations.
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| 29. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Prosecutors’ experiences investigating alleged sexual abuse against preschoolers
- 2018
-
In: Annual Conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law 26-29 juni 2018.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Objectives: Alleged child sexual abuse (CSA) against preschool-aged children is likely one of the most challenging cases for prosecutors to handle. In cases of alleged CSA, prosecutors are in charge of the preliminary investigation and work together with police and oftentimes, Child Protective Services (CPS). We aimed to examine prosecutors’ experiences processing CSA cases involving preschoolers, their views on the quality of child interviews and collaborating with the police and CPS. Method: 98 experienced child prosecutors took part in a survey regarding their experiences processing cases of alleged CSA involving preschoolers. The responses were analyzed using inferential statistics and thematic analysis. Results: The quality of child interviews was mostly rated as high. The quality of the interview was described as vital to the investigation, and as depending either on the interviewer’s expertise and personality or on the resources available to the police. Collaboration with police was rated as significantly better than collaboration with CPS. One-third of the prosecutors stated that CPS involvement could hamper a criminal investigation, mainly by leaking information to the suspect. The child’s ability and willingness to disclose abuse, alongside with a lack of corroborative evidence and the court’s reliability assessment, were described as the main challenges in the processing of CSA cases involving preschoolers. Conclusions: Investigating and prosecuting CSA cases involving preschoolers remain challenging, but there is room for improvement. CSA cases require an innovative, systematic, and unbiased approach and we encourage further research that can help improve the quality of CSA investigations.
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| 30. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Prosecutors’ experiences investigating alleged sexual abuse against preschoolers
- 2020
-
In: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X. ; 26:7, s. 687-709
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 31. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Prosecutors' reflections about sexually abused children and their ability to stand trial
- 2015
-
In: European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL) + World Conference, August 4-7 2015, Nuremberg.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are difficult to investigate and prosecute; something that especially holds true when the victim is a small child. The present study investigated prosecutors’ perceptions of working with CSA cases involving small children (ages 6 or under). Nine prosecutors who had specialized in working with child cases were either interviewed about their experiences, or discussed them in themed focus group sessions. Three themes were identified: 1) A credible child, 2) an unheard child and 3) an exploited and abandoned child. The findings showed that most of the time, children who disclosed abuse were perceived as credible by the prosecutors. Factors that could enhance or decrease the credibility of a child in the eyes of the court were discussed. Eliciting good quality testimonies from children was seen as difficult, both because the children themselves might be reluctant to disclose the abuse, and because of shortcomings on part of the interviewer. Children were seen as disadvantaged in the legal process, and their testimonies were described as being held at unrealistic standards. Additional evidence was described as vital in order to corroborate the child’s testimony, and different types of corroborating evidence were discussed. In addition to being victims of sexual abuse, children who figured in CSA investigations were described as potentially being used as a weapon in a custodial dispute, or as sometimes being abandoned by the non-abusive parent. These results highlight issues and complications in investigating and prosecuting CSA cases.
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| 32. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Prosecutors’ reflections on sexually abused preschoolers and their ability to stand trial
- 2016
-
In: Child Abuse & Neglect. - : Elsevier BV. - 0145-2134 .- 1873-7757. ; 57, s. 20-29
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are notoriously difficult to investigate, and less than 10% of cases are prosecuted. We aimed to investigate prosecutors’ experiences of preparing for and prosecuting suspected CSA cases with preschool aged victims. Nine specialized child prosecutors (6 women, 3 men) took part either in individual interviews or in focus groups on this subject. The transcripts were analyzed thematically. The prosecutors said that children's testimony was sometimes held to an adult standard and that child complainants who expressed emotion could be perceived as more credible than their less expressive counterparts. CSA victims were identified as vulnerable victims who had difficulty telling their stories. Some of the interviewers were described as lacking in the ability to approach these children. The results imply that the reliability and credibility of sexually abused preschoolers and their testimony might be influenced by a number of verbal and non-verbal factors and that there are several obstacles preventing prosecutors from prosecuting these cases.
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| 33. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Sexual abuse cases in Swedish courts – what is required from preschoolers as witnesses?
- 2016
-
In: The 9th annual conference of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG), London, United Kingdom, June 22 - 24 2016.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases offer a considerable challenge for the court, as evidence other than the complainant’s testimony is rare. The court is faced with the task of evaluating the reliability of the testimony, a task that can be especially challenging when the complainant is a small child. Reliability assessments made by Swedish courts require a complainant’s testimony to be long, clear, coherent, logical, rich in detail and free from equivocal statements. Such criteria are difficult for preschoolers to fulfil, as they tend to provide brief testimonies and might be unable to describe the abuse in great detail. So far, no studies have been conducted as to what extent these criteria are being used to evaluate the testimonies of preschoolers, nor to how the assessment of these criteria affect the outcome in court. Court data from 197 CSA cases involving preschool-aged victims will be analyzed with respect to the use of said criteria. There will be an emphasis on the court’s assessments of the child interview and the child’s testimony, in order to see what is required from preschoolers as witnesses. The results will be presented in the light of current knowledge on preschoolers’ ability to testify.
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| 34. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Sexual abuse investigations involving preschool-aged victims: Which cases are prosecuted?
- 2016
-
In: 12th Meeting of the Nordic Network for research on Psychology and Law, September 2016, Uppsala.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are notoriously difficult to investigate. Substantially fewer cases involving preschool-aged victims are prosecuted compared to cases where the victim is an older child. We aim to investigate what is required for CSA cases involving preschool-aged victims to be carried forward for prosecution. Data from prosecuted cases (N = 30) will be compared to data from discontinued preliminary investigations (N = 30). A number of factors will be examined in order to determine if they can predict prosecution in CSA cases involving preschool victims. The cases will be analyzed with respect to type and length of abuse, relationship between the complainant and defendant, the child’s disclosure of abuse, type of evidence available and the prevalence of a custodial dispute. The results will be discussed in the light of previous research into prosecution of CSA cases and we will attempt to offer some guiding suggestions to how these difficult investigations can be facilitated.
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| 35. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Tell it like an adult? Evaluations of pre-schoolers testimonies in court
- 2015
-
In: The 11th meeting of the NNPL, Reykjavik (Iceland) October 30-31, 2015.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are notoriously difficult for the legal system to handle, especially when the victim is a pre-schooler. Credibility assessments made by Swedish courts require a complainant’s testimony to be long, clear, coherent, logical, detailed and not contain any equivocal statements. There are no age limits to applying these criteria, meaning that testimonies given by pre-schoolers can be evaluated at these standards. So far, no studies have been conducted as to what extent these criteria are being used to evaluate the testimonies of pre-schoolers, nor to how the assessment of these criteria affect the outcome in court. The present study uses 130 CSA court cases dating from 2010 to 2015, all involving pre-school victims. The court cases will be coded for use of the credibility criteria, type and length of abuse, relationship between the complainant and defendant, length and number of child interviews, the court’s assessment of the child interview(s) and type of evidence available. This information will be analysed in relation to the outcome in court. Preliminary results from the analysis of 50 court cases will be presented.
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| 36. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
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To Prosecute or not to Prosecute: Law Students’ Judicial Decisions in CSA Cases
- 2014
-
In: The 10th Meeting of the Nordic Network for Research on Psychology and Law (NNPL), Oslo, Norway, November 7-8.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) investigations are complicated and few cases are prosecuted. The aim of the present study was to investigate judicial decisions in CSA investigations. Seventy-one law students (42 females, 29 males) read a vignette depicting a CSA investigation, assessed the complainant’s and the accused’s credibility, and if the case should be prosecuted or not. The participants were assigned to one of four conditions defined by a 2 (evidence: high probative value vs. low probative value) x 2 (complainant demeanour: emotional vs. neutral) factorial design. Females assigned higher credibility to the complainant than did males and males assigned higher credibility to the accused than did females. Emotionality, but not evidential value, affected credibility judgments: Females believed less in the suspect when the child behaved in an emotional manner. Most participants (94.4%) thought that the case should be prosecuted, though only 73.2% believed that prosecution could be corroborated. Corroboration of prosecution was affected by evidential value, but not emotionality. The results indicate that the behaviour of alleged crime victims might affect males and females differently, which in turn could lead to biased judicial decisions in CSA investigations.
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| 37. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
To prosecute or not to prosecute: Law students' judicial decisions in CSA cases
- 2016
-
In: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. - : Wiley. - 0036-5564 .- 1467-9450. ; 57:1, s. 30-35
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) investigations are complicated and few cases are prosecuted. The aim of the present study was to investigate judicial decisions in CSA investigations. Seventy-one law students (42 females, 29 males) read a vignette depicting a CSA investigation, assessed the complainant's and the accused's credibility, and if the case should be prosecuted or not. The participants were assigned to one of four conditions defined by a 2 (evidence: high probative value vs. low probative value) × 2 (complainant demeanour: emotional vs. neutral) factorial design. Females assigned higher credibility to the complainant than did males and males assigned higher credibility to the accused than did females. Emotionality, but not evidential value, affected credibility judgements: Females believed less in the suspect when the child behaved in an emotional manner. Most participants (94.4%) thought that the case should be prosecuted, though only 73.2% believed that prosecution could be corroborated. Corroboration of prosecution was affected by evidential value, but not emotionality. The results indicate that the behavior of alleged crime victims might affect males and females differently, which in turn could lead to biased judicial decisions in CSA investigations.
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| 38. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
-
Åtal vid misstänkta sexualbrott mot förskolebarn
- 2017
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In: Brottsoffermyndighetens Viktimologiska Forskarkonferens 2017. Stockholm: 21 november.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- När en anmälan av sexualbrott mot barn görs, ska fallet genast lämnas över till en åklagare, som sedan inte bara är ansvarig för att besluta om fallet ska gå vidare till åtal, utan även agerar förundersökningsledare. Vi har i två studier undersökt åtal av misstänkta sexualbrott mot förskolebarn. Inom ramen för Studie 1 intervjuades erfarna barnåklagare om sina erfarenheter och upplevelser av att arbeta med misstänkta sexualbrott mot små barn. Inom ramen för Studie II analyserades 37 nedlagda förundersökningar och 107 domar rörande sexualbrott mot barn i förskoleåldern, med avseende på vilka faktorer som kunde förutsäga vilka fall som ledde vidare till åtal.
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| 39. |
- Fängström, Karin, 1980-
(author)
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‘I don’t even remember anything’ : Optimising the choice of method when interviewing preschoolers
- 2017
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- There is increasing need and demand in various contexts to take children’s perspectives into account, including the views and opinions of the youngest children. However, listening to the voices of children is a challenging and complex task, and the field is normatively loaded. There is thus a growing need for valid and reliable methods and techniques that aid children to verbalise their experiences. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the ability of the In My Shoes computer assisted interview and a Standard verbal interview to elicit accurate information and evaluative content, when used with preschool-aged children and determine their suitability in relation to situationally shy children.Our studies show that the two interview methods, in general, provided equally accurate and complete statements. In addition, the IMS interview can be a more useful and suitable tool during the rapport phase with situationally shy children compared to the Standard verbal method. For non-shy children, the interview methods were equally adequate. In relation to evaluative information, the recommended open-ended questions in the Standard verbal interview were insufficient. Children appeared to need evaluative questions in order to provide evaluative content. Examining the ability of IMS to elicit subjective experiences showed that using IMS aided children to provide detailed and varied descriptions of emotions, somatic experiences, and objects such as toys. Thus, when choosing the optimal child interview method, there are several aspects that need to be considered, including the degree to which children’s statements need to be accurate and complete and/or contain evaluative information and the child’s level of shyness. These studies have increased the number of evaluated methods for interviewing children and contributed to new knowledge about the challenging task of optimising the choice of method for interviewing preschoolers.
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| 40. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(author)
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Children recalling an event repeatedly – Effects on RM and CBCA scores
- 2006
-
In: Legal and Criminological Psychology. ; , s. 81-98
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The fact that abused children often talk about their experiences before entering the legal system is a neglected factor in terms of the validation of different reliability assessment techniques. Hence, the present study investigated the extent to which the scores of the reality monitoring technique (RM) and the criteria-based content analysis (CBCA) were affected by the number of times children recalled an experienced or an imagined event. Children (12-13 yrs, N=80) participated in an experiment where half the sample experienced a real event (an interaction with a stranger) and then recalled it either one or four times, and the other half imagined the same event and then recalled it either one of four times. The statements given at the final (or only) session were analysed with both CBCA and RM. On a multivariate level, both the CBCA and RM sets of criteria discriminated between truthful and fabricated statements. The total RM score (but not the total CBCA score) discriminated reliably between truthful and fabricated statements. RM (but not CBCA) was sensitive to the number of times the experienced or imagined event was recalled: increased presence of criteria after repeated recall.
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| 41. |
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(author)
-
Minne för traumatiska händelser
- 2021
-
In: Handbok i Rättspsykologi. - Stockholm : Liber. - 9789147113064
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inom rättspsykologin är kopplingen mellan trauma och minne relevant i många olika situationer och sammanhang. I detta kapitel uppmärksammar vi ett urval av dessa situationer. Vi börjar med att definiera 'trauma' och vi undanröjer några vanliga myter om det mänskliga minnet. Sedan diskuterar vi fenomen som bortträngda minnen, falska minnen, flashbulb memories och kopplingen mellan PTSD och minne.
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| 44. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(author)
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Muntlighet vid domstol ur ett rättspsykologiskt perspektiv
- 2005
-
In: Bylander, E. & Lindblom, P. H. (red). Muntlighet vid domstol i Norden : en rättsvetenskaplig, rättspsykologisk och rättsetnologisk studie av presentationsformernas betydelse i förfarandet vid domstol i Norden. - Uppsala : Iustus Förlag. - 9176785939 ; , s. 267-290
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this chapter we view the 'principle of orality' (a cornerstone in Swedish Law) from a legal psychology perspective. We review the relevant research literature and investigate to what extent the observer's (legal decision makers') perception, assessment and memory is affected by the presentation format used (e.g. whether the witness appear live or on video).
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| 45. |
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| 46. |
-
Handbok i rättspsykologi
- 2021
-
Editorial collection (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Handbok i rättspsykologi presenterar nationell och internationell vetenskaplig kunskap. Boken är skriven av sjutton författare som alla är aktiva forskare och lärare inom rättspsykologi eller angränsande områden. Boken inleds med en introduktion till rättspsykologin och det svenska rättsväsendet. Därefter beskrivs teorier och forskning om brottslighet, offer och förövare, följt av genomgångar av hur rättspsykologin kan bidra till att förbättra både utredningsarbete och förhandlingar i domstol. Avslutningsvis ger boken inblick i rättspsykologisk forskning och hur den kan omsättas i praktiken. Handbok i rättspsykologi består av 26 kapitel.
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| 47. |
-
Interviewing Child Witnesses: Proceedings of the 2016 theoretical course.
- 2017
-
Editorial proceedings (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The PhD course Interviewing child witnesses (6 higher education credits) offers an introduction to child interviewing in forensic settings. The first part of these proceedings focus on different interviewing techniques. The PhD students were asked to choose and study one established legal interrogation technique and explain why (or why not) the technique is suitable for interrogations of children of different ages and for what purposes the technique is suitable (e.g., for child plaintiffs, witnesses or child suspects). The second part of these proceedings focuses on children in the legal system worldwide. The students were to give an oral presentation and a brief written account of the situation for children (as suspects, as witnesses, and as plaintiffs) in the legal system in their home country. The course is mandatory for those PhD students enrolled in the House of Legal Psychology Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme (EMJD-LP) and optional for Swedish PhD students with an interest in child forensic interviewing.
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| 48. |
-
Interviewing Child Witnesses: Proceedings of the 2019 theoretical course
- 2020
-
Editorial proceedings (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The PhD course Interviewing child witnesses (6 higher education credits) offers an introduction to child interviewing in forensic settings. The first part of these proceedings focus on different interviewing techniques. The PhD students were asked to choose and study one established legal interrogation technique and explain why (or why not) the technique is suitable for children of different ages. The students were also asked to explain for what purposes the technique is suitable (e.g., for child plaintiffs, witnesses or child suspects). The second part of these proceedings focuses on children in the legal system worldwide. The students were to give an oral presentation and a brief written account of the situation for children (as suspects, as witnesses, and as plaintiffs) in the legal system in their home country.
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Joleby, Malin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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"All of Me Is Completely Different" : Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse
- 2020
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In: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of the present study was to gain a first-person perspective on the experiences of technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA), and a deeper understanding of the way it may affect its victims. Seven young women (aged 17-24) with experience of TA-CSA before the age of 18 participated in individual in-depth interviews. The interviews were teller-focused with the aim of capturing the interviewee's own story about how they made sense of their experiences over time, and what impact the victimization had on them in the short and long terms. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed a broad range of abusive experiences that had profoundly impacted the individuals' lives, health and self-concepts. Three dominant themes emerged from the analysis - From thrilling to abusive, Negative effect on health and wellbeing, and A new self after the abuse. From thrilling to abusive captures the wide range of experiences described, starting from the child's own sexual curiosity to descriptions of having been manipulated or threatened into engaging in sexual activity, as well as the sometimes long and complex process of understanding the severity of one's experiences. Negative effect on health and wellbeing describes the victimization's comprehensive impact on the life and health of the participants, how they blamed themselves for what had happened, and the struggle of having to live with the constant fear of pictures from the abuse resurfacing. A new self after the abuse depicts how the victimization impacted the way participants viewed and thought about themselves in relation to others, and distorted their views of their bodies. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on both offline CSA and TA-CSA, as well as theoretical and practical implications.
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