Effects of misinformation on children's recall : the potential for a "buffering" effect in drawing

Abstract

Kindergarten children participated in a magic show and then responded to direct questioning about the details. The children were then asked to draw (N = 52) or tell (N = 56) about their favorite part of the show. Two weeks later, they were exposed to misinformed details about the event. Judgements were then relayed to the children concerning the memory of the misinforming interviewer, which were reinforcing, disregarding or neutral. One and six months after the event, the children were questioned about the details. Results indicated that children who had an opportunity to draw had reported fewer errors for details that were misled. However, these children had more errors on the untampered items than the children who did not have an opportunity to draw.