Credibility of the emotional witness: A study of ratings by police investigators
Authors:
Guri C. Bollingmo a;
Ellen O. Wessel a;
Dag Erik Eilertsen a;
Svein Magnussen a
| Affiliation: | a Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway |
DOI:
10.1080/10683160701368412
Publication Frequency:
8 issues per year
First Published:
January
2008
Subjects:
Criminology;
Criminology & Delinquency;
Ethics & Legal issues in Mental Health;
Forensic Psychiatry;
Psychiatry & Clinical Psychology - Adult;
Social Psychology;
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Abstract
Credibility judgments by police investigators were examined. Sixty-nine investigators viewed one of three video-recorded versions of a rape victim's statement where the role was played by a professional actress. The statements were given in a free recall manner with identical wording, but differing in the emotions displayed, termed congruent, neutral and incongruent emotional expressions. Results showed that emotions displayed by the rape victim affected police officers' judgments of credibility. The victim was judged as most credible when crying and showing despair, and less credible when being neutral or expressing more positive emotions. This result indicates stereotypic beliefs about rape victim behavior among police officers, similar to those found for lay persons. Results are discussed in terms of professional expertise.
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| Keywords: Witness credibility; emotional expression; police |
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