Advancing legal literacy: The effect of listenability on the comprehension of interrogation rights
Legal and Criminological Psychology
Published online on April 18, 2014
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the effect of listenability features on the comprehension of interrogation rights.
Method
In Experiment 1, students (N = 76) underwent a mock interrogation where one of two police cautions (listenable caution vs. standard caution) was administered and students were asked to explain the caution in their own words. Experiment 2 (N = 80) extended Experiment 1 by identifying the individual and additive effects of the listenability features on recall of their interrogation rights.
Results
The results of Experiment 1 showed that the caution containing listenability features produced higher levels of recall than a standard caution. Results of Experiment 2 showed that repeating and organizing interrogation rights led to the greatest number of legal rights being comprehended.
Conclusions
Listenability can be used as a tool to increase legal literacy.