PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Emotional children's testimonies are judged as more credible

Emotional children's testimonies are judged as more credible
2014-03-31
(Press-News.org) In an experimental legal psychology study, two young actors (one girl and one boy) portrayed victims in a mock-police investigation. They were questioned by the police about how they had been harassed by older schoolmates. The police interviews were videotaped in two versions: In one version the children appeared in a neutral manner but in the other version, the children showed clear signs of distress, as they sobbed and hesitated before answering the police officers' questions.

The films were later shown and assessed by law students that were familiar with the Supreme Court's criteria for how to assess the credibility of testimonies.

The results show that the children, despite giving the exact same testimonies, were perceived as more credible and truthful when expressing emotions than when behaving in a more neutral manner. The reason for these differences was that the law students had stereotypical believes that child victims should appear emotional. The law students also felt greater compassion for the emotional children.

'This is problematic since many children don't display strong negative emotions when questioned by police,' says Sara Landström, researcher in legal psychology at the Department of Psychology. 'There is a risk that these children will be considered less credible in court.'

Since witnesses and technical evidence are often lacking in cases involving child abuse, courts are often forced to rely solely on the victim's own testimony 'It is therefore very important that courts assess the credibility of a testimony based on what children say and not on how they say it,' says Sara Landström.

INFORMATION: The study is presented in an article titled Children's Testimony and the Emotional Victim Effect, which was published in the British journal Legal and Criminological Psychology in December. The article was written by Sara Landström, Karl Ask, Charlotte Sommar and Rebecca Willén from the Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg.

For more information, please contact Sara Landström, PhD
+46 (0)31 786 4291
sara.landstrom@psy.gu.se

The study was conducted by the researchers within the Research Unit for Criminal, Legal and Investigative Psychology (CLIP), at the Department of Psychology, the University of Gothenburg. The study was funded by the Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority.

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Emotional children's testimonies are judged as more credible

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Nano-paper filter removes viruses

2014-03-31
Nanotechnology and Functional Materials, Uppsala University have developed a paper filter, which can remove virus particles with the efficiency matching that of the best industrial virus filters. The paper filter consists of 100 percent high purity cellulose nanofibers, directly derived from nature. The research was carried out in collaboration with virologists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences/Swedish National Veterinary Institute and is published in the Advanced Healthcare Materials journal. Virus particles are very peculiar objects- tiny (about ...

CAMH researcher discovers 2 new genes linked to intellectual disability

2014-03-31
(Toronto) March 31, 2014 – Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have discovered two new genes linked to intellectual disability, according to two research studies published concurrently this month in the journals Human Genetics and Human Molecular Genetics. "Both studies give clues to the different pathways involved in normal neurodevelopment," says CAMH Senior Scientist Dr. John Vincent, who heads the MiND (Molecular Neuropsychiatry and Development) Laboratory in the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at CAMH. "We are building up a ...

NTS's role in the protection of pre-moxibustion on gastric mucosal lesions

NTSs role in the protection of pre-moxibustion on gastric mucosal lesions
2014-03-31
Moxibustion may have protective effects on the stomach mucous membrane against stress gastric ulcer. The potential mechanism of moxibustion may be mediated by transforming growth factor-α, gastric mucosa cell proliferation, inhibition of apoptosis, and the expression of heat shock protein-70. Previous studies have shown that somatic sensation by acupuncture and visceral nociceptive stimulation can converge in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) where neurons integrate signals impacting on the function of organs. To explore the role of the NTS in the protective mechanism ...

New study finds biochar stimulates more plant growth but less plant defense

New study finds biochar stimulates more plant growth but less plant defense
2014-03-31
In the first study of its kind, research undertaken at the University of Southampton has cast significant doubt over the use of biochar to alleviate climate change. Biochar is produced when wood is combusted at high temperatures to make bio-oil and has been proposed as a method of geoengineering. When buried in the soil, this carbon rich substance could potentially lock-up carbon and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The global potential of biochar is considered to be large, with up to 12 percent of emissions reduced by biochar soil application. Many previous reports ...

Major breakthrough in stem cell manufacturing technology

2014-03-31
Scientists at The University of Nottingham have developed a new substance which could simplify the manufacture of cell therapy in the pioneering world of regenerative medicine. Cell therapy is an exciting and rapidly developing area of medicine in which stem cells have the potential to repair human tissue and maintain organ function in chronic disease and age-related illnesses. But a major problem with translating current successful research into actual products and treatments is how to mass-produce such a complex living material. There are two distinct phases in the ...

Wen Dan Tang improves insomnia-related anxiety

Wen Dan Tang improves insomnia-related anxiety
2014-03-31
Ghrelin, a brain-gut peptide that induces anxiety and other abnormal emotions, contributes to the effects of insomnia on emotional behavior. In contrast, the traditional Chinese Medicine remedy Wen Dan Tang reduces insomnia-related anxiety, which may perhaps correspond to changes in the brain-gut axis. This suggests a possible relationship between Wen Dan Tang's pharmacological mechanism and the brain-gut axis. Based on this hypothesis, a research team from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in China generated a sleep deprivation rat model, and orally administered Wen ...

A breakthrough in creating invisibility cloaks, stealth technology

A breakthrough in creating invisibility cloaks, stealth technology
2014-03-31
Controlling and bending light around an object so it appears invisible to the naked eye is the theory behind fictional invisibility cloaks. It may seem easy in Hollywood movies, but is hard to create in real life because no material in nature has the properties necessary to bend light in such a way. Scientists have managed to create artificial nanostructures that can do the job, called metamaterials. But the challenge has been making enough of the material to turn science fiction into a practical reality. The work of Debashis Chanda at the University of Central Florida, ...

Early rehabilitation improves postsurgery neurofunctional outcome in spinal tumor children

2014-03-31
In children, primary spinal tumors comprise 4% of all tumors from the central nervous system. Spinal tumors can present with a variety of clinical signs and symptoms in children such as pain followed by motor regression, gait disturbance, sphincter dysfunction, sensory symptoms, torticollis, and kyphoscoliosis. Treatment of spinal tumors is based on tumor type, but surgical resection is the mainstay. Moreover, physical treatment and rehabilitation implementation are necessary in order to minimize the symptoms of the patients and develop present functions. Prof. Nezire Kose ...

A new study shows that even micro heart attacks are a major problem

2014-03-31
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 29, 2014 – Researchers at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital have found that cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging may help doctors better identify which patients with mild heart disease are likely to develop more serious heart problems long term. CMR imaging provides supporting information to guide treatment decisions and help doctors provide targeted care for patients at highest risk. The research, led by Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Research Fellow Naohiko Nemoto, MD, will be presented at the American ...

Young women: Eat more fruits and vegetables now to protect your heart later

2014-03-31
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 29, 2014 – A diet rich in fruits and vegetables for middle-aged adults has been associated with reduced rates of coronary heart disease (CHD), especially in women. Now, research supported by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) shows that for women, what you eat in your 20s may be just as important for your middle-aged heart. The results of the study, aimed at examining the extent to which young adults' diets are linked to cardiovascular health later in life, will be presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in Washington, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists find a region of the mouse gut tightly regulated by the immune system

How school eligibility influences the spread of infectious diseases: Insights for future outbreaks

UM School of Medicine researchers link snoring to behavioral problems in adolescents without declines in cognition

The Parasaurolophus’ pipes: Modeling the dinosaur’s crest to study its sound #ASA187

St. Jude appoints leading scientist to create groundbreaking Center of Excellence for Structural Cell Biology

Hear this! Transforming health care with speech-to-text technology #ASA187

Exploring the impact of offshore wind on whale deaths #ASA187

Mass General Brigham and BIDMC researchers unveil an AI protein engineer capable of making proteins ‘better, faster, stronger’

Metabolic and bariatric surgery safe and effective for patients with severe obesity

Smarter city planning: MSU researchers use brain activity to predict visits to urban areas

Using the world’s fastest exascale computer, ACM Gordon Bell Prize-winning team presents record-breaking algorithm to advance understanding of chemistry and biology

Jeffrey Hubbell joins NYU Tandon to lead new university-wide health engineering initiative & expand the school’s bioengineering focus

Fewer than 7% of global hotspots for whale-ship collisions have protection measures in place

Oldies but goodies: Study shows why elderly animals offer crucial scientific insights

Math-selective US universities reduce gender gap in STEM fields

Researchers identify previously unknown compound in drinking water

Chloronitramide anion – a newly characterized contaminant prevalent in chloramine treated tap water

Population connectivity shapes cultural complexity in chimpanzees

Direct hearing tests show that minke whales can hear high-frequency sounds

Whale-ship collision risk mapped across Earth’s oceans

Bye-bye microplastics: new plastic is recyclable and fully ocean-degradable

Unveiling nature of metal-support interaction: AI-driven breakthrough in catalysis

New imaging method enables detailed RNA analysis of the whole brain

Stability of perovskite solar cells doubled with protective coating

Chemists create world’s thinnest spaghetti

Empowering neuroscience: Large open brain models released

From traditional to technological: Advancements in fresco conservation

Design and imagination as essential tools during the climate crisis

Innovating archaeology: HKU scholars utilize immersive 3D tech to document and study the human past

What's the story, morning glory?

[Press-News.org] Emotional children's testimonies are judged as more credible