Abstract
This study examined the influence of question type during investigative interviews with victims of child sexual abuse on the
number of items of Investigation Relevant Information (IRI) obtained during the interview. Twenty-one police interview transcripts
from an English police force were analysed across different age groups. As predicted, more IRI was elicited from appropriate questions (e.g., open, probing, and encouragers) than from inappropriate questions (e.g., echo probes, closed, forced choice, leading, multiple and opinion/statement). Also as predicted, the number of items of IRI elicited increased with the age of the child witness, with older children
disclosing the most items of IRI, regardless of whether the abuse was recent or historic.
number of items of Investigation Relevant Information (IRI) obtained during the interview. Twenty-one police interview transcripts
from an English police force were analysed across different age groups. As predicted, more IRI was elicited from appropriate questions (e.g., open, probing, and encouragers) than from inappropriate questions (e.g., echo probes, closed, forced choice, leading, multiple and opinion/statement). Also as predicted, the number of items of IRI elicited increased with the age of the child witness, with older children
disclosing the most items of IRI, regardless of whether the abuse was recent or historic.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s11896-011-9093-z
- Authors
- Emma Phillips, Department of Psychology, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
- Gavin Oxburgh, Department of Psychology, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
- Amanda Gavin, Department of Psychology, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
- Trond Myklebust, Norwegian Police University College, Oslo, Norway
- Journal Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
- Online ISSN 1936-6469
- Print ISSN 0882-0783