C. Peterson & B. Parsons (2005). Interviewing former 1- and 2-year-olds about medical emergencies five years later. Law and Human Behavior, 29, 743-754.

Abstract

Five years earlier, 1- and 2-year-old children who had been injured seriously enough to require hospital ER treatment had been recruited from the ER. For this study, as many of these children as could be found participated. The majority of former 1-year-olds recalled nothing about these highly stressful events, whereas most former 2-year-olds recalled a great deal. For those former 1-year-olds who did recall the target events, quality of recall was problematic. In particular, they made considerable source confusions or intrusions into their accounts of details from other related events, producing an account that amalgamated various events into one recollection. Forensic implications are discussed.