Advancing legal literacy: The effect of listenability on the comprehension of interrogation rights. (18th April 2014) - Snook, Brent
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.