The Role of Wait Time During the Questioning of Children
A Systematic Review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19521925 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Annie Yun An Shiau (0009-0009-6018-4650), Kelly McWilliams (0000-0001-8732-3790), Shanna Williams (0000-0002-5049-2598) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 3441-3456 |
| Publication date | 2024-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Trauma Violence & Abuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1524-8380 • E-ISSN: 1552-8324 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/15248380241246793 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 51 |
The benefits of wait time in classroom discourses have been well documented in the field of education since the 1970s. While current forensic interview guidelines recognize the importance of pauses, whether there is sufficient empirical evidence to inform wait time guidelines in the legal context remains unanswered. This systematic review aimed to synthesize and provide a holistic update on the available research on the role of wait time when questioning children and recommended future direction to develop wait time guidelines specific to child forensic interviews. Systematic searches were conducted using four databases (PsycINFO, MedLine, ERIC, and Scopus). A total of 3,953 unique articles were returned, following a title and abstract screening, 68 full texts were reviewed, and 26 (including five additional studies identified through a hand search) were included. Inclusion criteria were the study sample included children under 18, published a measure of wait time in a questioning context, and in English. Overall, most knowledge of wait time remains in the field of education. Natural wait time is short, but with training, extended wait time yields significant benefits for both child and adult talk. Only one study examined the role of wait time in the forensic interviewing setting where a 10-s wait time appears to be more productive than shorter pauses. Extended wait time is a promising and simple interviewing practice with the potential to facilitate children’s disclosure. The current review is a call for research in the area as it pertains to forensic interviewing of children and youth
Factors influencing children to self-disclose sexual abuse
The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement
The PRISMA 2020 statement
Universals and cultural variation in turn-taking in conversation
Assessing the value of structured protocols for forensic interviews of alleged child abuse victims
Understanding expert testimony on child sexual abuse denial after New Jersey v. J.L.G
Talking about science in interactive whiteboard classrooms
How children talk about events
Examining reluctance and emotional support in forensic interviews with child victims of substantiated physical abuse
The effects of stereotypes and suggestions on preschoolers' reports
Wait‐Time and the Use of Target or Native Languages
Effects of Teacher Wait Time on Discourse Characteristics in Mathematics and Language Arts Classes
Children's responses to questions in peer interaction
Pausing phenomena
The organization of repair in classroom talk
The relevance of repair for classroom correction
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |