Replications and Limitations of a Two-Factor Model of Child Witness Credibility |
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Authors: | David F. Ross Frank H. Jurden R. C. L. Lindsay Jennifer M. Keeney |
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Affiliation: | University of Tennessee;Fab5, Inc. Kansas City, Missouri;Queen's University Kingston, Ontario, Canada;Decision Quest, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia |
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Abstract: | Two experiments are reported that test the idea that jurors perceive child witnesses in terms of a 2-factor model of credibility with the factors defined as cognitive ability and honesty (Leippe & Romanczyk, 1987; Ross, Millers, & Moran, 1989). In the first experiment, 300 mock jurors watched a realistic videotaped recreation of a sexual abuse trial and rated the credibility of the child witness. Mock jurors perceived the child witness in terms of 2 factors: cognitive ability and honesty. Only honesty predicted verdict. These findings were replicated in Experiment 2 ( N = 300) when only the child's testimony was presented and the perceptions of the child witness were not contaminated by the testimony of the other witnesses in the trial. |
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