Citation

Aldridge J, Lamb ME, Sternberg KJ, Orbach Y, Esplin PW, Bowler L. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 2004; 72(2): 304-316.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/0022-006X.72.2.304

PMID

15065963

Abstract

Ninety 4- to 13-year-old alleged victims of sexual abuse were interviewed by police officers using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) investigative interview protocol, following which they were shown a human figure drawing and asked a series of questions. The drawing and associated questions elicited an average of 86 new forensically relevant details. They were especially productive with 4- to 7-year-olds, who provided an average of 95 additional details (27% of their total) after the drawing was introduced despite having previously "exhausted" their memories. Information elicited using the drawing may be less accurate, however, because recognition memory prompts predominated, so such drawings should only be introduced late in investigative interviews.

Language: en