Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3540-2963

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Elisa Krackow

Committee Member

Amy Fiske

Committee Member

Amy Gentzler

Abstract

Jurors’ perceptions of child witnesses can have significant influence in judicial outcomes, particularly in cases where children’s testimony is central (Goodman et al., 1997; Goodman et al., 1998; Castelli et al., 2005). The role of gesture in shaping jurors’ perceptions is underexplored. Studies highlight that gesture enhances memory recall and reduces cognitive load, making it an important component of effective communication (Goldin-Meadow et al., 2001; Hudson & Sheffield, 1998; Cook & Fenn, 2017). The present research consisted of two studies examining whether child witnesses’ use of gesture during recall of an alleged crime affected jurors’ perceptions of witness credibility and defendant guilt. In Study 1 (N = 189), gesture did not vary across conditions, as all participants read a scenario describing a child witness who gestured and only child age (4 vs. 8 years) differed. Study 1 results indicated no significant age differences on credibility or guilt judgments. A significant main effect of participant gender emerged, such that women rated the child witness as more credible than men, regardless of the child’s age. Study 2 (N = 114) experimentally manipulated gesture use (gesture vs. no gesture) while holding child age constant (4 years). Again, gesture did not significantly affect ratings of child credibility, continuous guilt judgments, or categorical verdicts. Across both studies, participant gender and age were largely unrelated to outcomes. These findings suggest that neither a child witness’s age nor the presence of gesture meaningfully influenced jurors’ evaluations of credibility or defendant guilt.

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