It’s all to play for: an alternative approach to

rapport building in child investigative interviewing

Kimberly Collins and Dr Martin Doherty,

Dept of Psychology, University of Stirling, UKProf Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon,

Dept of Psychology & Sports Science, University of Northumbria, UK

What is the purpose of the rapport phase?

• Should not be omitted

• Explain ground rules and interview’s purpose

• Inform interviewer of child’s social, cognitive and emotional capabilities

• Establish trust and relax the child

What has academic research shown so far?

• Very important but has been subject to little research

• Open ended vs. direct style of rapport building (Roberts et al, 2004; Sternberg et al, 1997)

• Open ended produced more detailed and accurate information from children aged 3-9 years

What is currently being used?

• Discussion about neutral topics e.g. school day, fave tv progs, hobbies etc with emphasis on open ended style of questioning (Home Office, 2002: Scottish Executive, 2003)

• Practice interview. NICHD protocol

• Practice interview not being used by 87% of interviewers?!! (La Rooy et al, 2010; Collins et al, in preparation)

Play method of rapportPlay method of rapport

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• Is used during rapport and during the interview but not often, why?•Never systematically investigated•Used in a various clinical contexts to build rapport (e.g. Dougherty & Ray, 2007)

Why play rapport?Why play rapport?Used in child psychotherapy (Chethik, 2001)

Used to treat children during play therapy (Dougherty & Ray, 2007)

Children spend most of free time engaged in play (Blundon & Schaefer, 2006)

Play acts as a buffer when encountering new experiences (Barnett & Storm, 1981)

Play is a child’s natural mode of communication (Morton, 2001)

Helps children work out appropriate rules for social interactions (Vygotsky)

May reduce power imbalance (e.g. Doherty-Sneddon et al, 2000)

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What did practitioners think?What did practitioners think?Used before so open to the idea

Children could relate to play

Opened up communication

Took off the pressure

Attention span?

Distraction?

Would it encourage fantasy?

Not there for playing

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Aims of study

• Evaluate the impact of play rapport on the quantity and quality of information elicited

• Compare with open practice approach used in Scotland

• Examine whether differences across age and sex

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Method• Data collected from 100 children across 2 age groups • 3 (Rapport Type: play, practice and control) x 2 (Age:

5-7 and 8-10) x 2 (Sex) between participants design

1. Pirate activitiesEvent to be recalled. Carried out by 4 research assistants.

Lasted 15 mins.

One week later2. Rapport phase

No rapport. Child coloured in

Practice/open interview

Interviewer and child completed a play task together3.

InterviewInterviewed about pirate activities 9

Method

• Communication: richness and accuracy of reports, information given in response to different question types.

• Rapport and anxiety still to be analysed

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Findings• For no overall effect of rapport .• Interaction between rapport type and age

group for total info, accuracy, info in free narrative and open ended. No differences across specific or closed

Difference between play and control for 8-10s

No rapport effect for 5-7s

Younger have limited attention span?

Biopack effects?

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Findings• For total info, accuracy and free narrative info

- females gave more than males. Due to female interviewer?

- 8-10s gave more than 5-7s. Typical age effect.

• No effects of rapport type on inaccuracies or intrusions. Play did not effect accuracy of information.

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What are the implications for practice?

• Structured play could be an additional and alternative approach to building rapport with older primary aged children

• No additional effects for younger children. Did bio pack interfere with communication?

• Impact on rapport, child’s demeanour and anxiety have still to be analysed 13

What are the implications for practice?

• Rapport important for 8-10s

• Rapport necessary for more elaborate responses with older primary aged children

• Concerns about fantasy element not confirmed

• Interaction important. More about empowerment and making child feel comfortable than practice at recall strategy?

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Thanks to all the children, parents and schools that have taken part. Thanks to Victoria Plant, Kayleigh Atkinson, Rebecca Duffield and Stacey Mitchell for their help with the pirate activities and coding of video clips.

Any questions?

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ReferencesReferences

Barnett, L.A. and Storm, B. (1981). Play, pleasure, and pain: The reduction of anxiety Barnett, L.A. and Storm, B. (1981). Play, pleasure, and pain: The reduction of anxiety through play. through play. Leisure Sciences, Leisure Sciences, 44, 161-175. , 161-175.

Blundon, J.A. & Schaefer, C. E. (2006). The role of parent-child play in children’s Blundon, J.A. & Schaefer, C. E. (2006). The role of parent-child play in children’s development, development, Psychology and Education - an Interdisciplinary Journal, Psychology and Education - an Interdisciplinary Journal, 43, 43, 1-10.1-10.

Chethik, M. (2001). The play relationship and the therapeutic alliance. Chethik, M. (2001). The play relationship and the therapeutic alliance. Psychoanalytic Psychoanalytic Social Work, Social Work, 8, 8, 9-20.9-20.

Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (2010). Rapport building during forensic interviews: Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (2010). Rapport building during forensic interviews: the attitudes and experiences of child protection officers. the attitudes and experiences of child protection officers. Paper being prepared for Paper being prepared for submission.submission.   

Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (2010). Playing with rapport: the communicative Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (2010). Playing with rapport: the communicative impact of building rapport through play with young people during forensic impact of building rapport through play with young people during forensic interviews. interviews. Paper being prepared for submissionPaper being prepared for submission

Doherty-Sneddon, G. and McAuley, S. (2000). Influence of video-mediation on adult-Doherty-Sneddon, G. and McAuley, S. (2000). Influence of video-mediation on adult-child interviews: Implications for the use of live link with child witnesses. child interviews: Implications for the use of live link with child witnesses. Applied Applied Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, 14, 14, 379-392.379-392.

Dougherty, J. & Ray, D. (2007). Differential impact of play therapy on developmental Dougherty, J. & Ray, D. (2007). Differential impact of play therapy on developmental levels of children, levels of children, International Journal of Play Therapy, International Journal of Play Therapy, 16, 16, 2-19.2-19.

Home Office. (2007). Home Office. (2007). Achieving Best evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance on Achieving Best evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance on Interviewing Victims, Witnesses, and Using Special measures. Interviewing Victims, Witnesses, and Using Special measures. London: Home Office.London: Home Office.

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La Rooy, D., Lamb, M. E., & Memon, A. (2010, June). La Rooy, D., Lamb, M. E., & Memon, A. (2010, June). Forensic interviews Forensic interviews with children in Scotland: A survey of interview practices among police.with children in Scotland: A survey of interview practices among police. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Investigative Paper presented at the meeting of the International Investigative Interviewers Research Group Conference, Norwegian Police University Interviewers Research Group Conference, Norwegian Police University College, Stavern Conference Centre, Norway. College, Stavern Conference Centre, Norway.

Morton, C. (2001). The play relationship and the therapeutic alliance. Morton, C. (2001). The play relationship and the therapeutic alliance. Psychoanalytic Social Work, Psychoanalytic Social Work, 8, 8, 9-20.9-20.

Roberts, K.P., Lamb, M.E. & Sternberg, K.J. (2004). The effects of rapport-Roberts, K.P., Lamb, M.E. & Sternberg, K.J. (2004). The effects of rapport-building style on children’s reports of a staged event, building style on children’s reports of a staged event, Applied Cognitive Applied Cognitive Psychology, Psychology, 18, 18, 189-202.189-202.

Scottish Executive. (2003). Scottish Executive. (2003). Guidance on interviewing child witnesses in Guidance on interviewing child witnesses in ScotlandScotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.

Sternberg, K.J., Lamb, M.E., Hershkowitz, I., Yudilevitch, L., Orbach, Y., Sternberg, K.J., Lamb, M.E., Hershkowitz, I., Yudilevitch, L., Orbach, Y., Esplin, P.W. and Hovav, M. (1997). Effects of introductory style on Esplin, P.W. and Hovav, M. (1997). Effects of introductory style on children’s abilities to describe experiences of sexual abuse. children’s abilities to describe experiences of sexual abuse. Child Abuse Child Abuse and Neglect, and Neglect, 21, 21, pp. 1133-1146.pp. 1133-1146.

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