The Silent Witness: The Unspoken Power of Gesture on the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony in Children Aged 5-16 Years in relation to Age, Cognitive Disabilities, and Interview Modality.

In 2016, 1 billion child abuse cases were reported globally. In the UK, just 4% of cases in 2019 led to charges, often due to evidential issues. While the effects of verbal misinformation on children’s memory are well-documented, the impact of gestural misinformation remains significantly under-researched, despite growing evidence that gestures can be just as misleading as words. The aim of this thesis was to advance understanding of the Gestural Misinformation Effect (GME), extending it for the first time to a key population - children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and a new setting - remote forensic interviews (tele-FI). A typical misinformation paradigm was used comprising of a witnessed event, followed by an interview containing true/false details presented visually.

A total of 131 children aged 5-16 years participated across three studies. Results showed that leading gestures significantly distorted memory in both typically developing (TD) children (interviewed face-to-face and via tele-FI) and children with IDD. On average, participants were misled four-fifths of the time. No difference in accuracy or susceptibility to misinformation was found between age groups or between TD children and those with IDD. However, older children in the tele-FI condition provided more relevant information than those in face-to-face conditions. More visible and expressive gestures increased false memories, with even subtle gestures having a strong misleading effect. Mixed results were found for the impact of central versus peripheral questions.

Overall , this research offers strong empirical support for the GME, challenging assumptions that children with IDD are unreliable witnesses and highlighting the potential of tele-FI. The findings advocate revising police interview guidelines to reduce the risks posed by leading gestures and emphasise the need for further research into tele-FI, with the aim of improving both the quality of evidence and access to essential support and legal services.