Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Credibility Of Recovered Memory Testimony: Exploring The Effects Of Alleged Victim And Perpetrator Gender, Brian H. Bornstein, Stephanie L. Muller

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose was to explore the effects of victim/complainant and perpetrator/defendant gender on the impact of recovered memory testimony in criminal sexual abuse trials.
Method: A jury simulation methodology was used. Two hundred forty-six participants read a summary of a sexual abuse trial in which the following three variables were manipulated: the complainant's gender, the defendant's gender, and whether the complainant's memory of the alleged abuse had been "recovered" or remembered all along. Participants reached a verdict and rated the culpability and credibility of the parties.
Results: Compared to a case where the memory of the abuse had always …