The witness-aimed first account: A new technique for interviewing autistic witnesses and victims, experimental data 2017-2019

Data collection method:

Note: ASD = autism spectrum disorder; TD = typically developing; WAFA, Witness-Aimed First Account interview. The study employed a 2 (Group: ASD vs. TD) × 2 (Interview: WAFA vs. control interview) × 2 (Video: scrambled vs. unscrambled) mixed design, where Video was within participants (counterbalanced between the two videos, groups, and interview conditions). All participants watched two videos, one of which was scrambled, and were interviewed about each video with either a WAFA interview or control interview. The dependent variable was interview performance, measured by the number of correct and incorrect details reported, and overall accuracy scores (correct details as a function of total details recalled). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 63 participants were recruited: 33 autistic adults (27 males) and 30 TD adults (16 males). Autistic participants were recruited through existing databases at the University of Bath and City, University of London, and through ongoing recruitment calls for new participants via social media, local autism networks and organisations, and local newspaper advertisements. All autistic participants had received a formal diagnosis of ASD by experienced clinicians through the UK’s National Health Service according to DSM–IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) or DSM-5 criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), which was confirmed with a copy of their original detailed diagnostic report. Those who had received a diagnosis but were unable to produce a detailed letter received the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2; Lord et al., 2012), to confirm their diagnoses.