UC Irvine

Adolescents comprise an important population of witnesses. However, little research has examined their disclosure tendencies, especially developmental processes that affect those tendencies, such as their allegiance to peers (whose behaviors may be of interest) and beliefs about their autonomy. It is imperative to ascertain how best to elicit detailed disclosures from them about wrongdoing or harm. Strategies that improve children’s and adults’ disclosures (e.g., rapport building) have not been adequately tested in adolescents. Thus, the present research tested how modified rapport-building tactics that address motivational reasons why adolescents are reluctant enhance their reports of prior experiences. A total of 125 14-19-year-olds (Mage=16.9; 67% female) completed an online pre-questionnaire about significant events (e.g., bullying by a peer) that occurred in past year, as well as questionnaires assessing personality and well-being. Participants then completed an online interview about one of the significant events endorsed, beginning with one of three rapport-building instructions varied during an initial “getting to know you” phase. A standard conditioned consisted of closed-ended (yes/no) questions, while an open-ended condition consisted of open-ended questions. Finally, an enhanced condition paired open-ended question with interviewer self-disclosures. Analyses were conducted to address the effects of type of rapport on the amount and content of information reported. Overall, participants in the enhanced condition produced the longest and most elaborated reports, with more pronounced benefits for younger adolescents. Results suggest that mutual disclosure by an interviewer may be especially beneficial for eliciting detailed accounts from adolescents. The research highlights a potentially effective and easily trainable strategy that may be useful in obtaining reports from adolescents about their prior experiences.