David Marx

Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale

7 min read

Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale

The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS) is a psychological assessment tool developed by Gisli H. Gudjonsson to measure an individual’s susceptibility to suggestive influence and pressure during interrogations or other high-stress situations. The GSS is particularly relevant in legal contexts, as it helps assess the reliability of witness testimony and the likelihood of false confessions.

Core Components of the GSS

The GSS consists of two main components:

  1. Yield: Measures how much a person changes their answers in response to leading questions or suggestive statements.
  2. Shift: Assesses how much a person changes their answers after receiving negative feedback or social pressure.

Administration of the GSS

  1. Story Recall: The test begins with the examiner reading a short story to the participant, who is then asked to recall as many details as possible.
  2. Leading Questions: The participant is then asked a series of questions about the story, some of which are deliberately misleading or contain false information.
  3. Negative Feedback: The participant receives feedback suggesting they made errors, followed by another round of questions to assess changes in their responses.

Scoring the GSS

  1. Yield 1 (Y1): The number of times the participant agrees with leading questions during the first round of questioning.
  2. Shift (S): The number of changes in answers after receiving negative feedback.
  3. Yield 2 (Y2): The number of times the participant agrees with leading questions during the second round of questioning.

The total suggestibility score is calculated by summing Y1, Y2, and S, providing an overall measure of the individual’s susceptibility to suggestive influence.

Applications of the GSS

  1. Legal Contexts: The GSS is widely used in forensic psychology to evaluate the suggestibility of witnesses and suspects. It helps determine the reliability of testimony and the risk of false confessions under suggestive questioning.
  2. Clinical Psychology: The GSS can be used to assess individuals with cognitive impairments or psychological disorders that may increase their susceptibility to suggestion.
  3. Research: The scale is also used in research studies to investigate factors influencing suggestibility, such as age, cognitive abilities, and personality traits.

Empirical Evidence

Gudjonsson and Clark (1986)

In their seminal work, Gudjonsson and Clark demonstrated that individuals with high suggestibility scores were more likely to change their answers in response to leading questions and negative feedback. This study established the validity and reliability of the GSS in measuring suggestibility.

Bain and Baxter (2000)

This study used the GSS to assess the suggestibility of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Results showed that these individuals were more susceptible to suggestive questioning, highlighting the importance of using appropriate interviewing techniques with vulnerable populations.

Criticisms and Challenges

  1. Ecological Validity: Some critics argue that the artificial nature of the GSS tasks may not fully capture the complexity of real-world suggestibility in high-stress situations.
  2. Cultural Differences: There may be cultural variations in suggestibility that the GSS does not account for, potentially affecting the accuracy of the assessment in diverse populations.
  3. Individual Differences: Factors such as anxiety, self-esteem, and personality traits can influence suggestibility, and the GSS may not fully account for these individual differences.

Further Reading

The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale is a valuable tool for assessing the susceptibility to suggestive influence, with important applications in legal, clinical, and research settings. By understanding the factors that contribute to suggestibility, professionals can better evaluate the reliability of testimony and implement strategies to minimize the risk of false confessions and memory distortions.

Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale

The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS) is a psychological assessment tool designed to measure an individual’s susceptibility to suggestive influence, especially in high-stress situations like interrogations. Developed by Gisli H. Gudjonsson, the scale has been widely used in Forensic Psychology to assess the reliability of witness testimony and the likelihood of false confessions.

Components of the GSS

The GSS comprises two main parts:

  1. Story Recall: The examiner reads a short narrative to the participant, who is then asked to recall as many details as possible.
  2. Suggestibility Measures:
    • Yield: The number of times the participant accepts misleading questions (Yield 1) and the number of times they accept misleading questions after being challenged (Yield 2).
    • Shift: The number of times the participant changes their answers in response to negative feedback.

Administration of the GSS

  1. Initial Recall: The participant listens to a short story and is asked to recall it immediately.
  2. Misleading Questions: The participant is asked a series of questions about the story, including several that contain incorrect information.
  3. Feedback and Second Recall: The participant receives feedback suggesting errors in their initial recall and is then asked the same set of questions again to measure shifts in their responses.

Scoring the GSS

  1. Yield 1 (Y1): The number of times the participant accepts the misleading information in the first round of questions.
  2. Shift (S): The number of times the participant changes their answers after receiving feedback.
  3. Yield 2 (Y2): The number of times the participant accepts the misleading information in the second round of questions.

The total suggestibility score is calculated by summing Y1, Y2, and S, providing an overall measure of suggestibility.

Applications of the GSS

  1. Legal Contexts: The GSS is extensively used in forensic assessments to evaluate the suggestibility of witnesses and suspects. It helps determine the reliability of their testimonies and the risk of false confessions.
  2. Clinical Psychology: The scale is used to assess individuals with cognitive impairments or psychological disorders that may increase their vulnerability to suggestion.
  3. Research: The GSS is utilized in studies exploring factors influencing suggestibility, such as age, cognitive abilities, and personality traits.

Empirical Evidence

Gudjonsson and Clark (1986)

Gudjonsson and Clark’s research established the validity of the GSS by demonstrating that individuals with high suggestibility scores were more likely to change their answers in response to leading questions and feedback【94†source】【94†source】.

Bain and Baxter (2000)

This study used the GSS to assess suggestibility in individuals with intellectual disabilities, finding higher susceptibility to suggestion compared to the general population. The findings highlight the importance of using appropriate interviewing techniques with vulnerable populations【94†source】【94†source】.

Criticisms and Challenges

  1. Ecological Validity: Some critics argue that the GSS tasks may not fully capture the complexity of real-world suggestibility, as the conditions are artificial compared to actual high-stress situations.
  2. Cultural Differences: The GSS may not account for cultural variations in suggestibility, which could affect the accuracy of assessments in diverse populations.
  3. Individual Differences: The scale may not fully account for individual differences in anxiety, self-esteem, and personality traits, which can influence suggestibility.

Further Reading

The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale is a valuable tool for assessing susceptibility to suggestive influence, with important applications in legal, clinical, and research settings. Understanding the factors that contribute to suggestibility can help professionals evaluate the reliability of testimony and implement strategies to minimize the risk of false confessions and memory distortions.

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