Effects of cognitive schemas on children's testimony for a simulated juvenile crime

This investigation examined immediate and seven-week delayed recall by 104 children (ages 6 to 8 years) for a simulated misdemeanor bicycle theft in which gender-role characteristics and sex of criminal were manipulated (i.e., masculine male, feminine male, feminine female, masculine female). Children recalled criminal appearance, central crime, peripheral crime well; only the latter declined over time. Crime and criminal recall showed a same-sex bias, male-as-criminal preference, and higher rates when thieves exhibited gender-role consistent characteristics. Children relied on their crime, criminal, and gender schemas to help them to process the theft. Criminal justice implications for eyewitness testimony findings are provided.