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Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations. / Gabbert, Fiona; Tamonyte, Donata; Apps, Joe; Caso, Alessandra; Woolnough, Penny; Hope, Lorraine; Handscomb, Megan; Waterworth, Georgina.

In: Legal and Criminological Psychology, Vol. 25, No. 1, 01.02.2020, p. 1-16.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Harvard

Gabbert, F, Tamonyte, D, Apps, J, Caso, A, Woolnough, P, Hope, L, Handscomb, M & Waterworth, G 2020, 'Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations', Legal and Criminological Psychology, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12163

APA

Gabbert, F., Tamonyte, D., Apps, J., Caso, A., Woolnough, P., Hope, L., Handscomb, M., & Waterworth, G. (2020). Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 25(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12163

Vancouver

Gabbert F, Tamonyte D, Apps J, Caso A, Woolnough P, Hope L et al. Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations. Legal and Criminological Psychology. 2020 Feb 1;25(1):1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12163

Author

Gabbert, Fiona ; Tamonyte, Donata ; Apps, Joe ; Caso, Alessandra ; Woolnough, Penny ; Hope, Lorraine ; Handscomb, Megan ; Waterworth, Georgina. / Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations. In: Legal and Criminological Psychology. 2020 ; Vol. 25, No. 1. pp. 1-16.

Bibtex

@article{36e3ac1536684c648839912a7d2f6542,
title = "Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations",
abstract = "Purpose: The success of missing person investigations often centres on the quality of information obtained in the early stages. Reliable information can not only inform the search but might also become vital evidence if the case broadens into a criminal investigation relating to a sexual offence, abduction, or even murder. In addition to eliciting high‐quality information, police officers must consider that those close to the missing person are likely going through a very difficult and stressful time. Across two studies, we developed and tested a self‐administered form (SAI‐MISSING) designed to obtain reliable information that would meaningfully inform a missing person investigation, as well as providing a means for family and friends to be actively involved.Methods: In Experiment 1, 65 participants were tested individually and asked to provide a description of a person they knew well but had not seen for 24 hr. In the second study, 64 participants were tested in pairs, but immediately separated into different rooms and instructed to imagine that the person they came with has gone missing. In both studies, participants completed either the SAI‐MISSING tool, or a self‐administered control form.Results: In Experiment 1, we found that the SAI‐MISSING tool elicited significantly more information regarding physical descriptions and descriptions of clothing and personal effects, than the comparison control form. In Experiment 2, we replicated this finding and further showed that the SAI‐MISSING tool produced higher accuracy rates than the control form.Conclusions: Given the positive outcomes, potential applications of the tool are discussed.",
keywords = "information elicitation, investigation, missing person, self-administered interview",
author = "Fiona Gabbert and Donata Tamonyte and Joe Apps and Alessandra Caso and Penny Woolnough and Lorraine Hope and Megan Handscomb and Georgina Waterworth",
year = "2020",
month = feb,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1111/lcrp.12163",
language = "English",
volume = "25",
pages = "1--16",
journal = "Legal and Criminological Psychology",
issn = "1355-3259",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Examining the efficacy of a self‐administered report form in missing person investigations

AU - Gabbert, Fiona

AU - Tamonyte, Donata

AU - Apps, Joe

AU - Caso, Alessandra

AU - Woolnough, Penny

AU - Hope, Lorraine

AU - Handscomb, Megan

AU - Waterworth, Georgina

PY - 2020/2/1

Y1 - 2020/2/1

N2 - Purpose: The success of missing person investigations often centres on the quality of information obtained in the early stages. Reliable information can not only inform the search but might also become vital evidence if the case broadens into a criminal investigation relating to a sexual offence, abduction, or even murder. In addition to eliciting high‐quality information, police officers must consider that those close to the missing person are likely going through a very difficult and stressful time. Across two studies, we developed and tested a self‐administered form (SAI‐MISSING) designed to obtain reliable information that would meaningfully inform a missing person investigation, as well as providing a means for family and friends to be actively involved.Methods: In Experiment 1, 65 participants were tested individually and asked to provide a description of a person they knew well but had not seen for 24 hr. In the second study, 64 participants were tested in pairs, but immediately separated into different rooms and instructed to imagine that the person they came with has gone missing. In both studies, participants completed either the SAI‐MISSING tool, or a self‐administered control form.Results: In Experiment 1, we found that the SAI‐MISSING tool elicited significantly more information regarding physical descriptions and descriptions of clothing and personal effects, than the comparison control form. In Experiment 2, we replicated this finding and further showed that the SAI‐MISSING tool produced higher accuracy rates than the control form.Conclusions: Given the positive outcomes, potential applications of the tool are discussed.

AB - Purpose: The success of missing person investigations often centres on the quality of information obtained in the early stages. Reliable information can not only inform the search but might also become vital evidence if the case broadens into a criminal investigation relating to a sexual offence, abduction, or even murder. In addition to eliciting high‐quality information, police officers must consider that those close to the missing person are likely going through a very difficult and stressful time. Across two studies, we developed and tested a self‐administered form (SAI‐MISSING) designed to obtain reliable information that would meaningfully inform a missing person investigation, as well as providing a means for family and friends to be actively involved.Methods: In Experiment 1, 65 participants were tested individually and asked to provide a description of a person they knew well but had not seen for 24 hr. In the second study, 64 participants were tested in pairs, but immediately separated into different rooms and instructed to imagine that the person they came with has gone missing. In both studies, participants completed either the SAI‐MISSING tool, or a self‐administered control form.Results: In Experiment 1, we found that the SAI‐MISSING tool elicited significantly more information regarding physical descriptions and descriptions of clothing and personal effects, than the comparison control form. In Experiment 2, we replicated this finding and further showed that the SAI‐MISSING tool produced higher accuracy rates than the control form.Conclusions: Given the positive outcomes, potential applications of the tool are discussed.

KW - information elicitation

KW - investigation

KW - missing person

KW - self-administered interview

U2 - 10.1111/lcrp.12163

DO - 10.1111/lcrp.12163

M3 - Article

VL - 25

SP - 1

EP - 16

JO - Legal and Criminological Psychology

JF - Legal and Criminological Psychology

SN - 1355-3259

IS - 1

ER -

ID: 18180467