The effects of verbal labels and vocabulary skill on memory and suggestibility

The current study investigated the effectiveness of the verbal labels procedure (D. A. Brown & M. E. Pipe, 2003) to improve preschool children's responses to direct open-ended and misleading questions. Additionally, children's vocabulary skill was considered. Eighty-seven preschool children from diverse backgrounds were interviewed about a unique event in either a standard interview or a verbal labels interview. Children receiving the verbal labels interview produced more free recall information. However, this also included more error statements. Children in the verbal labels interview also showed better performance in answering direct open-ended questions. Importantly, the verbal labels procedure improved the performance of children in the low language group on misleading questions, erasing language effects. The results suggest that the verbal labels procedure may be a useful tool to improve young children's performance in memory interview, although future research indentifying factors that may influence the production of error statements is warranted.