The influence of mindfulness on young adolescents' eyewitness memory and suggestibility

Abstract

Recent research has linked mindfulness to adults' false memory formation. This study investigated the effects of mindfulness on adolescents' event memory and suggestibility by using an "extensive" 8-week mindfulness program, an active control group, and a participatory to-be-remembered event. Students aged 13 to 14 were randomly assigned to a mindfulness or active control condition (socioemotional learning). After the seventh week, students participated in a target event and were immediately interviewed during which misleading information was presented. A week later, those in the mindfulness condition incorrectly reported more false information compared with those in the control group. Mindful practice did not affect memory encoding but had a negative effect during retention and retrieval. These findings suggest that adolescents who are exposed to mindfulness exercises may be susceptible to memory intrusions. Professionals should therefore be especially careful to avoid using suggestive and leading questions during investigative interviews with mindful adolescents.

The relationship between trauma symptoms and immediate and delayed suggestibility in children who have been sexually abused

“…There is likely to be more than one mechanism that influences the relationship between trauma symptoms and delayed suggestibility. Faulty source monitoring is likely to be the most basic mechanism (Henkel & Coffman, 2004; Lindsay, Johnson, & Kwon, 1991), but perhaps more importantly there is apparently a failure at 1 week retrieval to activate systematic judgement processes, which require effort and energy (Ayers & Reder, 1998; Otgaar, Howe, Muris, & Merckelbach, 2019; Qi et al, 2018).…”

“…It is important that investigators and members of the judiciary are aware of the relationship between the extent of trauma symptoms and suggestibility, particularly delayed suggestibility. Crucially, the findings show the importance of avoiding providing interviewees with misleading information during questioning and there needs to be awareness of its potential deleterious impact on subsequent recall (Gudjonsson, 2018; Qi et al, 2018; Roberts, 2002).…”

“…Systematic judgement processes may facilitate deep cognitive processing at retrieval that could assist with correctly identifying the source of the activated information (Qi, Zhang, Hanceroglu, Caggianiello, & Roberts, 2018).…”

“…In addition to the automatic and qualitative features of heuristic judgements, deliberate and systematic judgement processes may take place, which require effort and energy in evaluating the source of a memory or its plausibility (e.g., on reflection the person realises that the suggested event is far too unrealistic to have happened). Systematic judgement processes may facilitate deep cognitive processing at retrieval that could assist with correctly identifying the source of the activated information (Qi, Zhang, Hanceroglu, Caggianiello, & Roberts, 2018).…”