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Interrogative suggestibility: Its relationship with assertiveness, social‐evaluative anxiety, state anxiety and method of coping
Author(s) -
Gudjonsson Gisli H.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0144-6657
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1988.tb00764.x
Subject(s) - suggestibility , psychology , assertiveness , distress , developmental psychology , anxiety , coping (psychology) , social anxiety , interrogative , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , linguistics , philosophy
This paper attempts to investigate empirically in 30 subjects some of the theoretical components related to individual differences that are thought by Gudjonsson & Clark (1986) to mediate interrogative suggestibility as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS; Gudjonsson, 1984 a ). The variables studied were: assertiveness, social‐evaluative anxiety, state anxiety and the coping methods subjects are able to generate and implement during interrogation. Low assertiveness and high evaluative anxiety were found to correlate moderately with suggestibility, but no significant correlations emerged for ‘social avoidance and distress'. State anxiety correlated significantly with suggestibility, particularly after negative feedback had been administered. Coping methods (active‐cognitive/behavioural vs. avoidance) significantly predicted suggestibility scores. The findings give strong support to the theoretical model of Gudjonsson & Clark.