Child Characteristics Which Impact Accuracy of Recall

Child Characteristics Which Impact Accuracy of Recall and Suggestibility in Preschoolers: Is Age the Best Predictor?
By Lane geddie, Sasha Fradin, and Jessica Beer
Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 223–235, 2000

ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether individual difference factors of metamemory, intelligence, and temperament can improve the ability to predict accuracy of recall and suggestibility in preschoolers.
Results and Conclusions: Of principal importance is the finding that child characteristics such as metamemory ability, intellectual functioning, and temperament may indeed be helpful in determining a child’s capacity to accurately recall information in an interview, although for the most part age is the best predictor. Findings also underscore the importance of considering a child’s SES and race when planning and conducting interviews with young children. Possible explanations for these findings as well as implications for future research and clinical application are discussed.