Date of Award

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts Honours

Faculty

Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences

First Supervisor

Alfred Allan

Second Supervisor

Dr Maria M Allan

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether a pre-interview training package was effective in reducing compliance to misleading questions with pre-school children and if the effects of the pre-interview training package could be generalized to interviewers other than those conducting the pre-interview training. Sixty preschool children, aged between four and five years, were randomly allocated to one of three interview conditions. The first group was given no pre-interview training (control group). In the second group, the same person administered the pre-interview training package and subsequent interview (same interviewer group). In the third group, different people conducted the pre-interview training and subsequent interview. All participants watched a short video as part of a normal class activity. The next day participants were given the pre-interview training (except the control group) and then interviewed about the contents of the video. The interview contained both misleading and non-misleading questions. Responses to the questions were coded as either correct, incorrect or don't know and were analysed using a 3 x 2 (Interview Condition x Question Type) mixed model ANOVA. The hypothesis that children who received the training would make fewer commission errors to misleading questions was supported. Additionally, the hypothesis that the pre-interview training package would not be as effective at reducing commission errors to misleading questions, when someone other than the person giving the training interviewed the child, was also supported. It was concluded that the pre-interview training package is effective for use with preschool children, however its lack of generalisability to other Interviewers should be noted in its application. The present study offers guidance for the further refinement of the pre-interview training package. Further replication is needed with a larger sample if the utility of the pre-interview training package is to be thoroughly explored.

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