David J. La Rooy

Monocular rivalry exhibits three hallmarks of binocular rivalry: Evidence for common processes

Binocular rivalry occurs when different images are presented one to each eye: the images are visible only alternately. Monocular rivalry occurs when different images are presented both to the same eye: the clarity of the images fluctuates alternately. Could both sorts of rivalry reflect the operation of a general visual mechanism for dealing with perceptual ambiguity? We report four experiments showing similarities between the two phenomena. First, we show that monocular rivalry can occur with complex images, as with binocular rivalry, and that the two phenomena are affected similarly by the size (Experiment 1) and colour (Experiment 2) of the images. Second, we show that the distribution of dominance periods during monocular rivalry has a gamma shape and is stochastic (Experiment 3). Third, we show that during periods of monocular-rivalry suppression, the threshold to detect a probe (a contrast pulse to the suppressed stimulus) is raised compared with during periods of dominance (Experiment 4). The threshold elevation is much weaker than during binocular rivalry, consistent with monocular rivalrys weak appearance. We discuss other similarities between monocular and binocular rivalry, and also some differences, concluding that part of the processing underlying both phenomena is a general visual mechanism for dealing with perceptual ambiguity.

The NICHD protocol: a review of an internationally-used evidence-based tool for training child forensic interviewers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review an evidence-based tool for training child forensic interviewers called the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Protocol (NICHD Protocol), with a specific focus on how the Protocol is being adapted in various countries. Design/methodology/approach – The authors include international contributions from experienced trainers, practitioners, and scientists, who are already using the Protocol or whose national or regional procedures have been directly influenced by the NICHD Protocol research (Canada, Finland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, and USA). Throughout the review, these experts comment on: how and when the Protocol was adopted in their country; who uses it; training procedures; challenges to implementation and translation; and other pertinent aspects. The authors aim to further promote good interviewing practice by sharing the experiences of these international experts. Findings – The NICHD Protocol can be easily incorporated into existing training programs worldwide and is available for free. It was originally developed in English and Hebrew and is available in several other languages. Originality/value – This paper reviews an evidence-based tool for training child forensic interviewers called the NICHD Protocol. It has been extensively studied and reviewed over the past 20 years. This paper is unique in that it brings together practitioners who are actually responsible for training forensic interviewers and conducting forensic interviews from all around the world.

Are Two Interviews Better Than One? Eyewitness Memory across Repeated Cognitive Interviews

Eyewitnesses to a filmed event were interviewed twice using a Cognitive Interview to examine the effects of variations in delay between the repeated interviews (immediately & 2 days; immediately & 7 days; 7 & 9 days) and the identity of the interviewers (same or different across the two repeated interviews). Hypermnesia (an increase in total amount of information recalled in the repeated interview) occurred without any decrease in the overall accuracy. Reminiscence (the recall of new information in the repeated interview) was also found in all conditions but was least apparent in the longest delay condition, and came with little cost to the overall accuracy of information gathered. The number of errors, increased across the interviews, but the relative accuracy of participants’ responses was unaffected. However, when accuracy was calculated based on all unique details provided across both interviews and compared to the accuracy of recall in just the first interview it was found to be slightly lower. The identity of the interviewer (whether the same or different across interviews) had no effects on the number of correct details. There was an increase in recall of new details with little cost to the overall accuracy of information gathered. Importantly, these results suggest that witnesses are unlikely to report everything they remember during a single Cognitive Interview, however exhaustive, and a second opportunity to recall information about the events in question may provide investigators with additional information.

Suggestibility in legal contexts : psychological research and forensic implications

Contributors ix Series Preface xi Preface xiii Acknowledgements xv 1 Suggestibility: A History and Introduction 1 Anne M. Ridley 2 The Misinformation Effect: Past Research and Recent Advances 21 Quin M. Chrobak and Maria S. Zaragoza 3 Interrogative Suggestibility and Compliance 45 Gisli H. Gudjonsson 4 Suggestibility and Memory Conformity 63 Fiona Gabbert and Lorraine Hope 5 Suggestibility and Individual Differences: Psychosocial and Memory Measures 85 Anne M. Ridley and Gisli H. Gudjonsson 6 Recovered Memories and Suggestibility for Entire Events 107 James Ost 7 Suggestibility and Individual Differences in Typically Developing and Intellectually Disabled Children 129 Kamala London, Lucy A. Henry, Travis Conradt and Ryan Corser 8 Suggestibility in Vulnerable Groups: Witnesses with Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Older People 149 Katie L. Maras and Rachel Wilcock 9 Acute Suggestibility in Police Interrogation: Self-regulation Failure as a Primary Mechanism of Vulnerability 171 Deborah Davis and Richard A. Leo 10 Suggestibility and Witness Interviewing using the Cognitive Interview and NICHD Protocol 197 David J. La Rooy, Deirdre Brown and Michael E. Lamb 11 Suggestibility in Legal Contexts: What Do We Know? 217 Anne M. Ridley, Fiona Gabbert and David J. La Rooy Index 229

The quality of details when children and youths with intellectual disabilities are interviewed about their abuse experiences

The question for this study is to further understand how children and youths with intellectual disabilities (IDs) elicit central and peripheral details when interviewed about their abuse experience ...

Witness recall across repeated interviews in a case of repeated abuse.

In this illustrative case study we examine the three forensic interviews of a girl who experienced repeated sexual abuse from ages 7 to 11. She disclosed the abuse after watching a serialized television show that contained a storyline similar to her own experience. This triggered an investigation that ended in successful prosecution of the offender. Because this case involved abuse that was repeated on a weekly basis for 4 years we thus investigated the degree to which the childs narrative reflected specific episodes or generic accounts, and both the interviewers and childs attempts to elicit and provide, respectively, specific details across the 3 interviews collected in a 1 month period. Across the 3 interviews, the childs account was largely generic, yet on a number of occasions she provided details specific to individual incidents (episodic leads) that could have been probed further. As predicted: earlier interviews were characterized more by episodic than generic prompts and the reverse was true for the third interview; the child often responded using the same style of language (episodic or generic) as the interviewer; and open questions yielded narrative information. We discuss the importance of adopting childrens words to specify occurrences, and the potential benefits of permitting generic recall in investigative interviews on childrens ability to provide episodic leads. Despite the fact that the testimony was characterized by generic information about what usually happened, rather than specific episodic details about individual occurrences, this case resulted in successful prosecution.

Assessing the Quality of Forensic Interviews with Child Witnesses

In this chapter, we discuss key aspects of assessing the quality of forensic interviews conducted with childwitnesses. We begin by discussing the quality of the case material, before reviewing the key components of investigative interviews and methods of assessing the quality of each of these components. The overall structure of the interview is discussed with reference to the use of “ground rules” and the effectiveness of rapport building and episodic memory training during the presubstantive phase of the interview. Issues surrounding the identification of appropriate and inappropriate questions and prompts are examined in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of memory. Additional issues that can influence the effectiveness of an interview, such as the use of repeated questions, the specific vs. generic nature of accounts, and the use of anatomical dolls, are also considered in light of the impact they may have on children’s responses.

Immediate interviewing increases children's suggestibility in the short term, but not in the long term

Purpose Children sometimes receive misinformation after being formally interviewed about their experiences in cases of suspected abuse. Following decades of research, many guidelines have been produced for interviewers so they can obtain reliable statements in children, like, for example, the NICHD protocol. One might expect that completing an early interview following research‐based guidelines might guard against the incorporation of misinformation encountered later. The goal of the current experiments was to examine whether following research‐based guidelines such as the NICHD protocol might protect child witnesses against follow‐up ‘misinformation’ or make them more vulnerable to misinformation. This increased vulnerability to misinformation has been referred to as retrieval‐enhanced suggestibility. Methods In two experiments, children viewed a video and half of them were interviewed using the NICHD protocol, while the other half were not interviewed. The children received misinformation and a final memory test either immediately after being interviewed (Experiment 1) or 1 week later (Experiment 2). Results Retrieval‐enhanced suggestibility was observed when misinformation was presented immediately but not when it was provided after 1 week. Conclusions The current experiments indicate that a well‐established interview protocol can, under some circumstances, amplify levels of suggestibility in children.