A cross-cultural and intra-cultural investigation of the misinformation effect in eyewitness memory reports

The culture in which individuals are socialised can play a role in shaping their eyewitness memory reports. Using a mock witness paradigm and drawing on self-construal theory, we examined cultural differences in the misinformation effect. A 2 (Cultural Group: Ghana, United Kingdom) x 2 (Misinformation Exposure: Control items, Experimental items) mixed design was used. Participants sampled from collectivistic (Ghana; n = 65) and individualistic (UK; n = 62) cultures were exposed to misleading post-event information (PEI). The between-subject factor was cultural group, and the within-subject factor was misinformation exposure. Participants provided a free recall account and then completed a recognition task that included misinformation items. Cultural difference in misinformation endorsement was 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 individual level cultural orientation within the respective cultures may play a role in the misinformation effect. Specifically, horizontal individualism was negatively associated with the acceptance of misleading post event information about central details for mock witnesses from the collectivistic cultural group. Horizontal collectivism was also negatively associated with the acceptance of misleading information about background/ peripheral details, for mock witnesses from the individualistic cultural group. 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.