Eyewitness testimony in native and second languages

Abstract

ABSTRACT When communication difficulties arise in a judicial context, an interpreter is required; however, this approach could entail the omission or misinterpretation of information. Thus, to avoid such risks, it may be suitable to directly interview those who are proficient in the local language. In this study, we investigated the differences in the quality and quantity of eyewitness testimony given in one’s native and second languages, focusing on the category of information relating to an event (i.e. agent, place, object, and action). Sixty proficient Chinese–Japanese bilingual speakers were presented with a video clip; they were then asked to give a free eyewitness report in their native and second languages (orders were counterbalanced). The results showed that the amount of accurate information related to the object and action observed was higher in the native language than in the second language, whereas observations of place had significantly more information in the second language. The participants also reported more inaccurate information regarding the object and action category in their native language than in their second language. These results suggest that providing eyewitness testimony in one’s second language may specifically affect the details of an event; however, the orientating information is less intact.