ABSTRACT

Two studies using large samples of jury-eligible adults tested whether hindsight influences perceptions of potential grooming behaviours. In study 1, participants (n = 371) were presented with vignettes describing five different interactions between an adult and children and rated the likelihood that these behaviours were indicative of sexual abuse in foresight and in hindsight. In hindsight, the ratings of the behaviours doubled in size, evidence of hindsight bias. This finding held even for participants who had received training on how to identify possible sexual abuse. Study 2 used the same stimuli but randomly assigned participants (n = 159) to a hindsight or not condition; estimates of the likelihood that the adult is a child molester were double the size in the former group compared to the latter group. These findings have implications for civil lawsuits occasioned by sexual abuse that occurs within youth-serving organisations.

摘要

两项使用大量符合陪审团资格的成年人样本的研究测试了后见之明是否会影响对潜在修饰行为的看法。在研究 1 中，向参与者 ( n  = 371) 展示了描述成人和儿童之间五种不同互动的小插曲，并评估了这些行为在预见和事后看来表明性虐待的可能性。事后看来，对行为的评分翻了一番，这是事后偏见的证据。这一发现甚至适用于接受过如何识别可能的性虐待培训的参与者。研究 2 使用相同的刺激，但随机分配参与者（n = 159) 事后诸葛亮或没有条件; 与后一组相比，前一组对成人骚扰儿童的可能性的估计是后者的两倍。这些发现对青年服务组织内发生的性虐待引发的民事诉讼具有重要意义。