Dag Erik Eilertsen

Credibility of the emotional witness: A study of ratings by police investigators

Abstract Credibility judgments by police investigators were examined. Sixty-nine investigators viewed one of three video-recorded versions of a rape victims statement where the role was played by a professional actress. The statements were given in a free recall manner with identical wording, but differing in the emotions displayed, termed congruent, neutral and incongruent emotional expressions. Results showed that emotions displayed by the rape victim affected police officers’ judgments of credibility. The victim was judged as most credible when crying and showing despair, and less credible when being neutral or expressing more positive emotions. This result indicates stereotypic beliefs about rape victim behavior among police officers, similar to those found for lay persons. Results are discussed in terms of professional expertise.

Changes in heritability across increasing levels of behavior problems in young twins.

The present study addresses the issue of differential heritability with increasing severity of parent-reported internalizing and externalizing behavior problems assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist. The sample includes 526 identical and 389 fraternal samesexed twin pairs from five national birth cohorts, aged 5–6, 8–9, and 12–15 years. Heritability (h2), common environment (c2), and changes in these parameters as a function of proband score were analyzed by multiple regression models (Chernyet al., 1992). Internalizing and externalizing behavior showed significant heritability. A small increment inh2 and a reduction ofc2 with increasing severity of externalizing behavior were independent of sex and age. For internalizing behaviorh2 increased andc2 declined with increasing severity for the 5–6 and 8–9 year olds. Logarithmic transformation of scores loweredh2 and increasedc2, particularly for externalizing behavior. The changes in heritability with severity were nonsignificant for the transformed variables.

Cross-cultural similarities in ADHD-like behaviour amongst South African primary school children

This study investigates whether the Disruptive Behaviour Disorders (DBDs) rating scale measures the same constructs in South African as in Western cultures, and explores the differences in scale scores as a function of language, gender and age. Teacher ratings between 1997 and 1999 of the 18 DSM-IV symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 6 094 primary school children of six language groups in the Limpopo Province of South Africa were collected and analysed. For all language groups, the results were consistent with a two-factor model of ADHD with correlated factors. There were gender and age effects on both scales. The prevalence rates for ADHD sub-types were in line with rates in the United States of America (US) and Europe. Similarities across language groups, as well as to results reported in the US and Europe, were striking. Despite the limitations discussed, teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms on the DBD scale can be used as a screening instrument in South Africa. Separate norms for different language groups are not indicated.

Treatment failure in psychotherapy: The pull of hostility

Abstract Client–therapist interactions were studied in 14 positive-change (PC) and 14 negative-change or nonchange (NC) therapies with the same therapists and similar clients. Aggregated structural analysis of social behavior (SASB) scores showed increasingly dissimilar interaction styles between client and therapist in NC therapies. First-lag transition analyses of SASB codings of Sessions 3, 12, and 20 showed the following differences: Stable hostile complementarity characterized NC within and across sessions. Hostile complementarity was nevertheless relatively rare. Therapists met clients’ invitations to hostile responses most frequently in nonhostile ways, yet they initiated more belittling and ignoring interactions with NC clients, pointing to the subtly hostile therapeutic climate created. Rejection of therapists’ interventions predicted negative outcome most strongly and escalated with time. Clients’ skepticism may make therapists vulnerable to feelings of inadequacy and, if not dealt with therapeutically, may easily release the therapists’ own hostility.

Memory for a staged criminal event witnessed live and on video

Memory for a staged robbery was tested in two groups of participants witnessing the event either live (n = 62) or on video (n = 64). Immediately after the event participants filled out a questionnaire probing memory with emphasis on the timing of the event and robber characteristics. The results showed that participants who watched a video recording of the event reported more details and with a higher accuracy than participants who were present on the scene, but the pattern of memory errors were similar in the two conditions. It is concluded that laboratory experiments may overestimate the memory of eyewitnesses but are otherwise able to simulate essential aspects of memory performance in naturalistic contexts.

Beliefs about child witnesses: A survey of professionals

This research addressed how professionals involved with the legal system evaluate children, primarily between 4 and 8 years old, as witnesses. In particular, we focused on professionals’ beliefs and opinions regarding childrens memory, suggestibility, and behaviors as they relate to witness credibility. In addition, we surveyed professionals’ evaluations of investigative methods related to reliability. Four hundred and seventy-eight professionals working with children in the Norwegian legal system (i.e. judges, police detectives, psychologists, child psychiatrists, prosecutors, and defense attorneys) completed a questionnaire about child witness issues. Results indicated that psychiatrists as well as police officers expressed greater belief in childrens capacities than did other groups, whereas defense attorneys and psychologists were more skeptical regarding childrens general credibility. Psychiatrists and psychologists both, however, tended to favor, more than did legal professionals, the use of clinical techniques with children in abuse investigations. Implications are discussed in relation to professionals’ attitudes toward children as witnesses.

The Effect of Sex Education on Adolescents' Use of Condoms: Applying the Solomon Four-Group Design

A school-based sex education program was developed in order to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. A Solomon four-group design, with random assignment to the different conditions, was used to evaluate an intervention based on cognitive social learning theory and social influence theory. The main goal of the intervention was to increase use of condoms. A stratified sample of 124 classes (2,411 students) was drawn at random from all the upper secondary schools (high schools/colleges) in one county in Norway. The results indicate a consistent interaction between pretest and intervention, which seems to have an effect on condom use. Pretest or intervention alone did not contribute to this effect. The interaction effect appeared among the students with few sexual partners. Several possible explanations to the observed interaction effect and the implication for future interventions are discussed.

The role of maternal attachment in children's attachment and cognitive executive functioning: A preliminary study

The influence of maternal attachment on childrens attachment and executive functioning skills through maternal sensitivity and decentered tutoring were studied in 40 middle-class mother–child dyads. Infant attachment security in the Strange Situation Procedure was related to maternal attachment security, evaluated with the Adult Attachment Interview. When the children were six–seven months of age, maternal sensitivity was evaluated. When the child was six years old, maternal decentered tutoring and the childrens executive functioning were evaluated. Regression analyses indicated that maternal tutoring accounted for the association between maternal attachment and child cognitive functioning, whereas maternal sensitivity accounted for the association between maternal and child attachment.

The predictive value of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms for quality of life: a longitudinal study of physically injured victims of non-domestic violence

BackgroundLittle is known about longitudinal associations between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and quality of life (QoL) after exposure to violence. The aims of the current study were to examine quality of life (QoL) and the predictive value of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for QoL in victims of non-domestic violence over a period of 12 months.MethodsA single-group (n = 70) longitudinal design with three repeated measures over a period of 12 months were used. Posttraumatic psychological symptoms were assessed by using the Impact of Event Scale, a 15-item self-rating questionnaire comprising two subscales (intrusion and avoidance) as a screening instrument for PTSD. The questionnaire WHOQOL-Bref was used to assess QoL. The WHOQOL-BREF instrument comprises 26 items, which measure the following broad domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. Results of the analysis were summarized by fitting Structural Equation Modelling (SEM).ResultsFor each category of PTSD (probable cases, risk level cases and no cases), the mean levels of the WHOQOL-Bref subscales (the four domains and the two single items) were stable across time of assessment. Individuals who scored as probable PTSD or as risk level cases had significantly lower scores on the QoL domains such as physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environmental than those without PTSD symptoms. In addition, the two items examining perception of overall quality of life and perception of overall health in WHOQOL showed the same results according to PTSD symptoms such as QoL domains. PTSD symptoms predicted lower QoL at all three assessments. Similarly PTSD symptoms at T1 predicted lower QoL at T2 and PTSD symptoms at T2 predicted lower QoL at T3.ConclusionThe presence of PTSD symptoms predicted lower QoL, both from an acute and prolonged perspective, in victims of non-domestic violence. Focusing on the individuals perception of his/her QoL in addition to the illness may increase the treatment priorities and efforts.

Acute psychological reactions in assault victims of non-domestic violence: Peritraumatic dissociation, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression

The aims of this study were to investigate acute and subacute post-traumatic reactions in victims of physical non-domestic violence. A Norwegian sample of 138 physically assaulted victims was interviewed and a questionnaire was completed. The following areas were examined: the frequency and intensity of acute and subacute psychological reactions such as peritraumatic dissociation (PD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety and depression; the relationship between several psychological reactions; the relationship between psychological reactions and level of physical injury, perceived life threat, and potential of severe physical injury, and the relationship between psychological reactions and socio-demographic variables. The following distress reactions were measured retrospectively: PD, PTSD, and anxiety and depression. Thirty-three per cent of the victims scored as probable PTSD cases according to the Post Traumatic Symptoms Scale 10 (PTSS-10); the corresponding Impact of Event Scale-15 (IES-15) score identified prevalence of 34% respectively. Forty-four per cent scored as cases with probable anxiety and depression, according to the Hopkins Symptom Check List 25 (HSCL-25). Severity of perceived threat predicted higher scores on all measures of psychological reactions. There were no statistically significant differences between acute and subacute groups on PD, PTSS-10, IES-15, IES-22 and HSCL-25 according to measured means (and standard deviations) and occurrence of probable cases and risk level cases. The results showed no connection between severity of physical injury and caseness. The acute psychological impairment that results from assault violence may have a deleterious effect on the mental health of victims.