The Effects of Narrative Scaffolding on Low-Income Children's Suggestibility

描述（由申请人提供）：虽然有大量的研究表明，使用暗示性问题会对儿童陈述的准确性产生负面影响，但许多法医面试官仍然使用这些问题，即使他们经过严格的培训或使用脚本面试协议。因此，迫切需要制定方法，使幼儿免受暗示性问题的负面影响。P.I.之前的工作研究表明，对一个事件进行更长、更详细的自由叙述的儿童对随后关于该事件的暗示性问题更有抵抗力。本建议的目的是扩大这项工作的影响，旨在提高儿童的叙述儿童随后的阻力暗示性问题的一个特定的采访技术进行调查。具体而言，拟议项目将追求以下具体目标：1.以更真实的事件复制低收入样本中叙述技巧与可接受性的关系，增加生态效度;测试叙述式支架式访谈对降低儿童易受性的功效;及3。测试语言技能对叙事支架的调节作用。从为低收入家庭服务的儿童保育项目中招募的三岁和四岁的孩子将观察到两个成年人在教室里上演的冲突。经过一段时间的延迟，孩子们将接受采访，要么在一个标准的采访，其中只包括一个自由回忆的部分，或叙事脚手架采访，旨在支持生产一个更长，更详细的叙述。然后，在这两种情况下的儿童将被提出一系列引导性和误导性的问题。此外，儿童的语言技能，无论是在词汇量和叙事技巧方面的衡量，将在单独的会议。这个项目是创新的，因为它将超越相关性研究，为高质量叙事和儿童记忆之间的因果关系提供证据。这项拟议中的研究通过推进我们对儿童早期发育中记忆过程的理解而具有科学价值。与此同时，拟议项目将提供证据，证明可纳入实际法医面谈的面谈程序的效力。此外，本科生和研究生研究助理将参与随着P.I.因此，该项目将为这些学生提供就业和研究教育经验。 公共卫生相关性：拟议的项目将提供证据的有效性，一种新的采访程序，在减少儿童的消化不良。这一程序可纳入实际的法医面谈，有助于确保在这些情况下面谈的儿童所获得的证词的准确性。因此，这项研究有可能对促进虐待儿童嫌疑受害者的健康和福祉产生积极影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although there is an abundance of research showing that the use of suggestive questions can negatively impact the accuracy of children's statements, many forensic interviewers still use these questions, even when they have undergone rigorous training or are using scripted interview protocols. Thus, there is a critical need to develop methods to inoculate young children from the negative effects of suggestive questions. Previous work by the P.I. has shown that children who produce longer and more elaborate free narratives about an event are more resistant to subsequent suggestive questions about that event. The objective of the present proposal is to extend this work by investigating the effects of a specific interview technique designed to improve children's narratives on children's subsequent resistance to suggestive questions. Specifically, the proposed project will pursue the following specific aims: 1. Replicate the relation between narrative skill and suggestibility in low-income sample with a more realistic event, increasing ecological validity; 2. Test the efficacy of a narrative-scaffolding interview on reducing children's suggestibility; and 3. Test the moderating effects of language skill on narrative scaffolding. Three- and four-year-old children, recruited from child care programs serving low-income families, will observe a staged conflict between two adults in their classroom. After a delay, children will be interviewed either in a standard interview that includes only a free-recall portion or a narrative- scaffolding interview designed to support the production of a longer and more elaborate narrative. Children in both conditions will then be subsequently presented with a series of leading and misleading questions. In addition, children's language skill, measured both in terms of vocabulary and narrative skill, will be measured in separate sessions. This project is innovative in that it will go beyond correlational studies to provide evidence for a causal relation between the production of high quality narratives and children's memory. The proposed study has scientific merit by advancing our understanding of memory processes in early child development. At the same time, the proposed project will provide evidence of the efficacy of an interview procedure that can be incorporated into actual forensic interviews. Additionally, undergraduate and graduate student research assistants will be involved along with the P.I. in carrying out this project, and thus this project will provide employment and a research education experience to these students. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed project will provide evidence of the efficacy of a novel interview procedure in reducing children's suggestibility. This procedure can be incorporated into actual forensic interviews, helping to ensure the accuracy of statements obtained by children interviewed in these contexts. As such, this study has the potential to have a positive impact on promoting the health and well-being of suspected victims of child abuse.