'Don't know' responding to interview questions: misinformation, motivation, and metacognition

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A great deal has been learned about factors involved in the accuracy of memory for recently witnessed events.  To date this research has focused upon the accuracy of memory, and little research has been conducted to evaluate other typically observed aspects of responding, such as saying "I don't know" in response to questions. Recent research has suggested that "don't know" responses differ in meaning, and that such responses are influenced by a numerous cognitive and metacognitive processes.  "Don't know" responses are therefore deserving of specific research attention.  The objectives of the present research program are to explore the ways that questioning can impact memory, as well as better understand the decision making processes involved in answering questions.  To accomplish this goal, the current research will investigate the impact of a number of factors upon rates and types of "don't know" responses made to interview questions.  These factors include the impact of different types of misinformation upon "don't know" responding; the role of metacognitive awareness for question answering skill during interviews, including the effective use of "don't know" responses; the impact of encouraging and discouraging "don't know" responses to questions; and the impact of manipulating motivation to provide accurate responses upon "don't know" responding.  Finally, the impact of training respondents in effective responding to questions upon accuracy and "don't know" response rates will be assessed.  The findings will be relevant to the understanding of memory and decision processes involved in answering interview questions.  This work will significantly enhance the understanding of "don't know" responses, thereby filling a gap in knowledge about a naturalistic aspect of responding to questioning.  A secondary benefit of this work is potential application to areas in which acquiring accurate information via interviewing is essential (such as forensic or health care applications).  The results will be of interest to basic researchers in the areas of memory, cognition, and metacognition, as well as applied practitioners who utilize interviews to gather information.