3837779
Ross et. al - Effect of Shields and
Videotape on Children Giving Evidence
- Ross et. al
- Aims
- To find out if the use of protective shields and
videotaped testimony increases the
likelihood of a guilty verdict
- To investigate the effect of protective
devices on jury reaction to testimony
- does credibility inflate or deflate
- does credibility inflate or deflate
- To find out if the use of protective shields and
videotaped testimony increases the
likelihood of a guilty verdict
- 300 students (150 each gender)
- 100 each condition
- majority were white and middle class
- told it was a study of psychology
and the law
- part of an introductory
psychology class
- 100 each condition
- mock trial based on real transcript
- professional film
crew recorded
actors
- three versions
(conditions) created
- child's testimony came via video link
- child behind 4x6ft screen
- child in full view
- child's testimony came via video link
- professional film
crew recorded
actors
- participants watched one of the
three 2hr films
- court case of alleged abuse
- defendant was child's father
- witnesses were mother, two experts (one for
each side), and child herself
- alleged single touch was when
father was giving child a bath
- case focused on whether it was innocent
or sexual
- case focused on whether it was innocent
or sexual
- court case of alleged abuse
- judge in case read warning to
jury before screen or
videotape was used
- they should not imply guilt by their use
- they should not imply guilt by their use
- afterwards participants gave verdicts and rated
credibility of child witness
- on various aspects of
her story
- also rated defendant on a
variety of dimensions of his
credibility
- on various aspects of
her story
- guilty verdicts show no significant difference between conditions
- significant difference between
males and females however
- 58.6% of females and only 38.6% of males found him guilty
- 58.6% of females and only 38.6% of males found him guilty
- significant difference between
males and females however
- jury's perception of defendant
credibility did not change
- once again there was
a gender difference
- more females rated less credibility
- more females rated less credibility
- once again there was
a gender difference
- same pattern emerged
for witness credbility
- no difference
across conditions
- gender difference - females rated
higher child credibility
- no difference
across conditions
- follow up experiment done whereby tapes
were stopped after child testimony
- participants in open court now more likely to convict
- participants in open court now more likely to convict
- For a lot of cases which involve
kidnapping and domestic
violence, the only other child is
a witness
- However giving evidence can be a traumatic
experience for a child
- Protective Screens and Videolinks are therefore being used more frequently
- Although, this may look
as though the child
needs 'protecting' from
the defendant, leading
juries to make the
assumption that they
are therefore guilty
- Although, this may look
as though the child
needs 'protecting' from
the defendant, leading
juries to make the
assumption that they
are therefore guilty
- Protective Screens and Videolinks are therefore being used more frequently
- However giving evidence can be a traumatic
experience for a child
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