Juveniles’ Miranda comprehension: Comparing different versions of the warning

Juveniles’ have demonstrated consistently poor Miranda comprehension over time and across studies, leading some researchers to believe that Miranda comprehension is, at least partially, a conceptual skill and not directly dependent on the reading level of the Miranda warnings. To test this hypothesis, 181 juvenile offenders completed one of two versions of the Miranda Rights Comprehension Instruments-II, versions similar in wording that vary in length. Sixteen juvenile offenders also completed Grisso’s Instruments for Assessing Understanding and Appreciation of Miranda Rights, a version that contains a warning with a higher reading level than that of the MRCI-II. Results revealed no significant differences in understanding or appreciation of the MRCI-II versions. Results indicated that youth understood two of the warnings on Grisso’s instruments significantly better than they understood the warnings on the MRCI-II. Research and policy implications of this study are discussed, particularly in the context of developing research-informed juvenile versions of the Miranda warnings.M.S., Clinical Psychology -- Drexel University, 200