Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the result of prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is characterized by deficits in adaptive functioning, social skills, learning capacities, emotion regulation, memory, attention, and communication abilities. As a result of these deficits, individuals with FASD may be prone to interrogative suggestibility. This is consistent with Gudjonsson and Clark’s (1986) model, which proposed that interrogative suggestibility is more likely to occur in individuals who experience: (a) a greater sense of uncertainty about the subject matter, (b) stronger interpersonal trust with the interrogator, and (c) an increase in one’s expectations that he or she should know the “correct” answer to the questions being asked. Failing to account for the unique needs of individuals with FASD in the criminal justice system may result in miscarriages of justice.
Recommended Citation
Watts, Erin J. and Brown, Jerrod
(2015)
"Interrogative Suggestibility in People with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): neurocognitive and Behavioral Challenges,"
Forensic Scholars Today: Vol. 1:
Iss.
4, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/forensic_scholars_today/vol1/iss4/6