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Emotional valence and the types of information provided by children in forensic interviews
- Source :
- Child abuseneglect. 129
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- BACKGROUND: Emotions can powerfully affect memory retrieval although this effect has seldom been studied in everyday contexts. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between children's verbal emotional expressions and the type of information reported during forensic interviews. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample included 198 interviews with 4- to 14-year-old (M = 9.36, SD = 2.37) alleged victims of repeated physical abuse perpetrated by family members conducted using the Revised NICHD Protocol which emphasizes a supportive interviewing style. METHODS: Interview videos were transcribed and each conversational turn was coded to reflect the amount and type of children's verbal emotional expressions, forensic information provided, interviewers' demeanor, and type of question asked. RESULTS: The verbal expression of negative emotions was positively associated with the production of more central details (β = 0.29, SE = 0.05, p < 0.001) and peripheral details (β = 0.66, SE = 0.07, p < 0.001), while the verbal expression of positive emotions was correlated with peripheral details (β = 0.29, SE = 0.15, p = 0.047). The verbal expression of negative emotions was associated with the production of more specific details (β = 0.73, SE = 0.06, p < 0.001]) and less generic information (β = -0.39, SE = 0.18, p = 0.029) whereas positive emotions were associated only with increased specific information (β = 0.28, SE = 0.12, p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight how emotional expression, especially of negative emotions, enhances the quantity and quality of children's reports in forensic contexts.
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Children's eyewitness testimonies
Communication
Emotions
Child Abuse, Sexual
Forensic Medicine
Psychiatry and Mental health
Physical Abuse
Child, Preschool
The Revised NICHD Protocol
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Interview, Psychological
Emotional language
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Humans
Support
Child
Child abuse
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18737757
- Volume :
- 129
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Child abuseneglect
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ffc9ab4bf5d43d272519a50301da335e