The influence of suggestions on children's reports of a unique experience versus an instance of a repeated experience

Abstract

In Experiment 0 we compared the in~uence of misleading suggestions on 3!\ 5!\ and 7!year! olds| reports of details of an instance of a repeated experience versus a unique experience[ For children who experienced the event repeatedly\ some components remained constant across instances "_xed# whereas others varied "variable#[ Relative to children who had experienced the event only once\ those who had experienced it repeatedly were less a}ected by suggestions regarding _xed details and more a}ected by suggestions regarding variable details[ In Experi! ment 1 a misinformation e}ect was observed in responses to questions about variable details but not in responses to questions about _xed details[

Investigating the effect of emotional stress on adult memory for single and repeated events.

“…The findings in the current study appear to indicate that regardless of whether an event was stressful or not stressful, repeated-event participants were less capable of particularizing (i.e., fewer correct details—defined narrowly, more internal intrusion errors) the target scenario compared to the single-event participants. These findings are consistent with, and extend, previous research in both children and adults, showing that recalling information from one specific instance of highly similar events is difficult (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 2001; Connolly & Price, 2006; Powell & Thomson, 1996, 1997; Theunissen et al, 2017; Woiwod et al, 2019). In particular, the results suggest that after experiencing multiple, similar events participants not only struggle to retrieve accurate details about one instance, but they also appear to merge the details from different instances making it difficult to determine what occurred when (i.e., during which event).…”

Investigating the effect of emotional stress on adult memory for single and repeated events.

“…The findings in the current study appear to indicate that regardless of whether an event was stressful or not stressful, repeated-event participants were less capable of particularizing (i.e., fewer correct details—defined narrowly, more internal intrusion errors) the target scenario compared to the single-event participants. These findings are consistent with, and extend, previous research in both children and adults, showing that recalling information from one specific instance of highly similar events is difficult (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 2001; Connolly & Price, 2006; Powell & Thomson, 1996, 1997; Theunissen et al, 2017; Woiwod et al, 2019). In particular, the results suggest that after experiencing multiple, similar events participants not only struggle to retrieve accurate details about one instance, but they also appear to merge the details from different instances making it difficult to determine what occurred when (i.e., during which event).…”

What children recall about a repeated event when one instance is different from the others.

“…In neither Experiment 1 nor Experiment 2 did RE children recall as many variable options as SE children. This is consistent with a very large literature that RE children recall less about a target instance than SE children (e.g., Brubacher, Glisic, et al, 2011, 2012; Connolly & Lindsay, 2001; Connolly & Price, 2006; Powell, Roberts, Ceci, & Hembrooke, 1999). We extend this research by finding that even when a deviation is present in one instance, RE children recall fewer target event details than SE children.…”

The effects of repeated experience on children's suggestibility.

“…The results of Experiment 1 are consistent with previous studies showing that children are resistant to suggestions about details that remain invariant across a series of occurrences (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 1998; Pezdek & Roe, 1995; Powell & Thomson, 1996). The findings regarding variable items are also consistent with Connolly and Lindsay's findings because children who repeatedly experienced an event were more inaccurate than children who were exposed to an event just once when asked to describe details about the target (single or final) occurrence following a biasing interview.…”

“…As demonstrated in Experiment 1 and consistent with previous research (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 1998; Pezdek & Roe, 1995; Powell & Thomson, 1996, 1999), repeated experience improved children's memory of the target occurrence for details that were invariant across the occurrences compared with reports by children who had experienced the event just once. Specifically, children with repeated experience accurately recalled more details and less often reported a suggested instantiation or a completely novel instantiation as if it had actually happened in the target occurrence than did children in the single-event condition.…”

Investigating the effect of emotional stress on adult memory for single and repeated events.

“…The findings in the current study appear to indicate that regardless of whether an event was stressful or not stressful, repeated-event participants were less capable of particularizing (i.e., fewer correct details—defined narrowly, more internal intrusion errors) the target scenario compared to the single-event participants. These findings are consistent with, and extend, previous research in both children and adults, showing that recalling information from one specific instance of highly similar events is difficult (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 2001; Connolly & Price, 2006; Powell & Thomson, 1996, 1997; Theunissen et al, 2017; Woiwod et al, 2019). In particular, the results suggest that after experiencing multiple, similar events participants not only struggle to retrieve accurate details about one instance, but they also appear to merge the details from different instances making it difficult to determine what occurred when (i.e., during which event).…”

What children recall about a repeated event when one instance is different from the others.

“…In neither Experiment 1 nor Experiment 2 did RE children recall as many variable options as SE children. This is consistent with a very large literature that RE children recall less about a target instance than SE children (e.g., Brubacher, Glisic, et al, 2011, 2012; Connolly & Lindsay, 2001; Connolly & Price, 2006; Powell, Roberts, Ceci, & Hembrooke, 1999). We extend this research by finding that even when a deviation is present in one instance, RE children recall fewer target event details than SE children.…”

The effects of repeated experience on children's suggestibility.

“…The results of Experiment 1 are consistent with previous studies showing that children are resistant to suggestions about details that remain invariant across a series of occurrences (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 1998; Pezdek & Roe, 1995; Powell & Thomson, 1996). The findings regarding variable items are also consistent with Connolly and Lindsay's findings because children who repeatedly experienced an event were more inaccurate than children who were exposed to an event just once when asked to describe details about the target (single or final) occurrence following a biasing interview.…”

“…As demonstrated in Experiment 1 and consistent with previous research (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 1998; Pezdek & Roe, 1995; Powell & Thomson, 1996, 1999), repeated experience improved children's memory of the target occurrence for details that were invariant across the occurrences compared with reports by children who had experienced the event just once. Specifically, children with repeated experience accurately recalled more details and less often reported a suggested instantiation or a completely novel instantiation as if it had actually happened in the target occurrence than did children in the single-event condition.…”

Investigating the effect of emotional stress on adult memory for single and repeated events.

“…The findings in the current study appear to indicate that regardless of whether an event was stressful or not stressful, repeated-event participants were less capable of particularizing (i.e., fewer correct details—defined narrowly, more internal intrusion errors) the target scenario compared to the single-event participants. These findings are consistent with, and extend, previous research in both children and adults, showing that recalling information from one specific instance of highly similar events is difficult (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 2001; Connolly & Price, 2006; Powell & Thomson, 1996, 1997; Theunissen et al, 2017; Woiwod et al, 2019). In particular, the results suggest that after experiencing multiple, similar events participants not only struggle to retrieve accurate details about one instance, but they also appear to merge the details from different instances making it difficult to determine what occurred when (i.e., during which event).…”

What children recall about a repeated event when one instance is different from the others.

“…In neither Experiment 1 nor Experiment 2 did RE children recall as many variable options as SE children. This is consistent with a very large literature that RE children recall less about a target instance than SE children (e.g., Brubacher, Glisic, et al, 2011, 2012; Connolly & Lindsay, 2001; Connolly & Price, 2006; Powell, Roberts, Ceci, & Hembrooke, 1999). We extend this research by finding that even when a deviation is present in one instance, RE children recall fewer target event details than SE children.…”

The effects of repeated experience on children's suggestibility.

“…The results of Experiment 1 are consistent with previous studies showing that children are resistant to suggestions about details that remain invariant across a series of occurrences (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 1998; Pezdek & Roe, 1995; Powell & Thomson, 1996). The findings regarding variable items are also consistent with Connolly and Lindsay's findings because children who repeatedly experienced an event were more inaccurate than children who were exposed to an event just once when asked to describe details about the target (single or final) occurrence following a biasing interview.…”

“…As demonstrated in Experiment 1 and consistent with previous research (e.g., Connolly & Lindsay, 1998; Pezdek & Roe, 1995; Powell & Thomson, 1996, 1999), repeated experience improved children's memory of the target occurrence for details that were invariant across the occurrences compared with reports by children who had experienced the event just once. Specifically, children with repeated experience accurately recalled more details and less often reported a suggested instantiation or a completely novel instantiation as if it had actually happened in the target occurrence than did children in the single-event condition.…”