“Tell me more about this…”: An examination of the efficacy of follow-up open questions following an initial account |
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| Authors: | Feni Kontogianni Lorraine Hope Paul J Taylor Aldert Vrij Fiona Gabbert |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK;2. Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Psychology of Conflict, Risk & Safety, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands;3. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK |
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| Abstract: | In information gathering interviews, follow-up questions are asked to clarify and extend initial witness accounts. Across two experiments, we examined the efficacy of open-ended questions following an account about a multi-perpetrator event. In Experiment 1, 50 mock-witnesses used the timeline technique or a free recall format to provide an initial account. Although follow-up questions elicited new information (18–22% of the total output) across conditions, the response accuracy (60%) was significantly lower than that of the initial account (83%). In Experiment 2 (N = 60), half of the participants received pre-questioning instructions to monitor accuracy when responding to follow-up questions. New information was reported (21–22% of the total output) across conditions, but despite using pre-questioning instructions, response accuracy (75%) was again lower than the spontaneously reported information (87.5%). Follow-up open-ended questions prompt additional reporting; however, practitioners should be cautious to corroborate the accuracy of new reported details. |
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| Keywords: | accuracy-informativeness trade-off eliciting information follow-up questions timeline technique |
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