The weapon focus effect in child eyewitnesses

Abstract

The present study investigated whether children would exhibit the weapon focus effect that has been demonstrated with adult eyewitnesses. Participants (4-and 5-year-olds, 7-and 8-year-olds, and adults) watched a videotape in which a target individual portraying one of two schema roles and holding either a weapon or a neutral object steals some money. Witnesses of all ages described the target's physical appearance less accurately if the target held an object that was inconsistent rather than consistent with his schema role. Additionally, there were age effects for both accuracy and amount of information reported. The results indicate that the weapon focus effect generalizes to child witnesses and that it probably occurs because weapons are inconsistent with an activated schema.

Expert Testimony on Laboratory Witnesses

“…The presence of a weapon in a laboratory witness study generally has a negative effect on performance (e.g., Davies, Smith, & Blincoe, 2008;Hope, 2007;Pickel, 1998Pickel, , 1999Pickel, Narter, Jameson, & Lenhardt, 2008;Steblay, 1992). Laboratory witnesses shown a film in which no weapon is used tend to report more details about the event and are better able to identify the "culprit" than laboratory witnesses who see the same film containing a weapon.…”

ARTICLE: Comparing Corporeal Lineups to Photo Arrays

“…In regard to weapons, the presence of a weapon reduced the accuracy of identification in both children and adults (Pickel, Narter, Jameson, & Lenhardt, 2008). With specific objects, the presence of a shotgun reduced successful identifications when no other distinctive characteristics are present (Carlson & Carlson, 2012) and the presence of a handgun reduced identification accuracy when compared with other objects (Carlson, Pleasant, Weatherford, Carlson, & Bednarz, 2016).…”

Current Topics in Children's Learning and Cognition

“…Thus, in some cases, younger children might not yet have the elaborate scripts that older children have developed. This can insulate them from making erroneous assumptions or interpretations about events (Brainerd et al, 2008;Lindberg, 1991;Pickel et al, 2008).…”