Memory and Testimony in the Child Witness (Applied Psychology : Individual, Social, and Community Issues, 1)

The assessment and improvement of eyewitness testimony of children is the topic of this volume. The first section examines factors that contribute to the reliability and accuracy of testimony, including the effects of extended delays, repeated questioning and exposure to leading questions. The second part describes techniques that have been developed to improve the quality of children′s testimony, including interview techniques and the use of anatomically correct dolls, and explores their empirical and theoretical underpinnings. The final chapters focus on policy issues, including psychological research designed to guide legal reforms for accommodating child witnesses into the legal system.