Individual and developmental differences in suggestibility

Although suggestibility has been studied for more than a century (e.g. Binet, 1900; Stern, 1910), a resurgence of interest occurred at the end of the last century, prompted in large part by Loftus’ work on misinformation effects in adult memory (e.g. Loftus, 1975; Loftus, Miller, & Burns, 1978). A series of investigations of large-scale sexual abuse allegations such as the McMartin case in California and the Wee Care case in New Jersey shifted the focus of suggestibility research onto child witnesses in the mid-1980s through the 1990s (Ceci & Bruck, 1993, 1995). These cases and the research that ensued forced psychologists to reconceptualize the nature of children’s memory and suggestibility. Thus, the theoretical and forensic importance of this work are responsible, in large part, for it being conducted in such volume. Findings resulting from the cascade of child witness research have clarified issues regarding the accuracy of eyewitness memory and our understanding of memory processes. In particular, from this research we have gained a better understanding of the interviewing factors and contexts that influence suggestibility (e.g. Bruck & Ceci, 1999; Ceci & Bruck, 1993, 1995). Research has largely focused on understanding how interviewing factors influence suggestibility. For example, children’s suggestibility is generally augmented by factors such as the use of specific or forced-choice questions (e.g. Peterson & Bell, 1996; Peterson & Biggs, 1997), repeated and linguistically complex questioning (e.g. Bruck, Ceci, & Hembrooke, 2002; Carter, Bottoms, & Levine, 1996; Poole & White, 1991), stereotype induction (Leichtman & Ceci, 1995; Lepore & Sesco, 1994), lengthy delays (e.g. Melnyk & Bruck, 2004, experiment 1), cues/props (e.g. Gee & Pipe, 1995; Salmon & Pipe, 1997; Wilson & Pipe, 1989), intimidation (e.g. Carter et al., 1996) reinforcement (e.g. Garven, Wood, & Malpass, 2000), interviewer status (Ceci, Ross, & Toglia, 1987; Tobey & Goodman, 1992), and anatomically detailed dolls (e.g. Bruck, Ceci, & Francoeur, 2000; Bruck, Ceci, Francoeur, & Renick, 1995; DeLoache & Marzolf, 1995). Research with adults indicates that suggestibility is heightened by interviewing factors such as the use of guided imagery (e.g. Garry, Manning, Loftus, & Sherman, 1996; Heaps & Nash, 1999; Hyman & Billings, 1998; Hyman & Pentland, 1996;