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Front Psychol. 2020 May 26;11:998. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00998. eCollection 2020.

Online Simulation Training of Child Sexual Abuse Interviews With Feedback Improves Interview Quality in Japanese University Students.

Frontiers in psychology

Shumpei Haginoya, Shota Yamamoto, Francesco Pompedda, Makiko Naka, Jan Antfolk, Pekka Santtila

Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Arts and Sciences, New York University (NYU) Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
  2. Life Skill Education Institute, Graduate School of Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan.
  3. Faculty of Arts, Psychology, and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
  4. School of Natural & Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom.
  5. Department of Comprehensive Psychology, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan.
  6. Turku Brain and Mind Center, Turku, Finland.

PMID: 32528374 PMCID: PMC7265454 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00998

Abstract

Although previous research has confirmed the effectiveness of simulated child sexual abuse interviews with feedback, its validation is limited to Western contexts and face-to-face settings. The present study aims to extend this research to non-Western and online/remote training conditions. Thirty-two Japanese undergraduate students were randomly assigned to a control or feedback group. The feedback group conducted a set of six online simulated child sexual abuse interviews while receiving feedback after each interview in an attempt to improve the quality of their questioning style. The feedback consisted of the outcome of the alleged cases and the quality of the questions asked in the interviews. The control group conducted the interviews without feedback. The feedback (vs. control) increased the proportion of recommended questions (first interview: 45%; last interview: 65% vs. first: 43%; last: 42%, respectively) by using fewer not-recommended questions and eliciting fewer incorrect details. Furthermore, only participants in the feedback group (7 out of 17) demonstrated a reliable change in the proportion of recommended questions. The present study explores the efficacy of simulated interview training with avatars in a different cultural setting and in the context of remote administration. The differences between the present study and previous research are discussed in light of cultural and logistical aspects.

Copyright © 2020 Haginoya, Yamamoto, Pompedda, Naka, Antfolk and Santtila.

Keywords: child sexual abuse (CSA); internet; investigative interviewing; remote learning; serious gaming; simulation training; virtual reality

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