A Cross-Cultural and Intra-Cultural Investigation of the Misinformation Effect in Eyewitness Memory Reports

Abstract

The culture in which individuals are socialised can play a role in shaping their eyewitness memory reports. Drawing on self-construal theory, we examined cultural differences in the misinformation effect. In a mock witness paradigm, participants sampled from collectivistic (Ghana; n = 65) and individualistic (United Kingdom; n = 62) cultures were exposed to misleading post-event information (PEI). Participants provided a free-recall account and then completed a recognition task that included misinformation items. Cultural differences in misinformation endorsement were not observed in free recall. However, participants from the collectivistic culture endorsed more misleading items in the recognition task than those from the individualistic culture. We also found that in the respective cultures, individual-level cultural orientation was related to the misinformation effect. These findings provide preliminary insights into the role of culture in susceptibility to misleading PEI and further highlight the importance of eliminating leading or suggestive questioning from investigative interviewing practices.