2. MEMORY (Improving the accuracy of EWT, including the use of cognitive interviews) Flashcards
What is a schema?
A schema is a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing, developed from experience. Schemas help organize and interpret information but can lead to distortions in memory and recall.
What is a cognitive interview?
A cognitive interview is a method used to help eyewitnesses retrieve more accurate memories. It reduces inaccuracies caused by leading questions and anxiety, and increases retrieval cues to improve memory recall.
Why do cognitive interviews work?
Cognitive interviews work because they reduce inaccuracies caused by leading questions, lower anxiety, and increase retrieval cues, which help witnesses access more accurate memories from long-term memory (LTM).
What are the four techniques used in a cognitive interview?
- Report everything
- Context reinstatement
- Recall in reverse order
- Recall from a changed perspective
What is context reinstatement in a cognitive interview?
Context reinstatement involves asking witnesses to mentally recreate the situation, including the environment (e.g., weather) and their emotional state during the event. This provides additional retrieval cues to help recall the crime more accurately.
Why does context reinstatement work in a cognitive interview?
It works because recalling environmental and emotional details provides more retrieval cues, aiding in accessing memories that might not be recalled otherwise. Recreating the scene helps witnesses remember details about the crime.
What is the “report everything” technique in a cognitive interview?
“Report everything” involves asking witnesses to report all details about the event, even those that seem unimportant. This can help reveal small details that act as retrieval cues, leading to more accurate recollections.
Why does the “report everything” technique work?
It works because small details might be linked to other pieces of information in memory. These seemingly trivial details could help witnesses remember important aspects of the event that they might not have initially thought were relevant.
What is the “recall in reverse order” technique in a cognitive interview?
This technique requires the witness to recall the event in a different chronological order (e.g., from the end to the beginning) to prevent the influence of expectations and to reduce the risk of dishonesty.
Why does the “recall in reverse order” technique work?
It works because it prevents witnesses from reporting their expectations about what must have happened, which might distort their memory. Reversing the order also makes it harder to fabricate or lie about the event.
What is the “recall from a changed perspective” technique in a cognitive interview?
This technique asks the witness to mentally recreate the scene from different points of view, such as describing what another person might have seen, in order to disrupt the effect of expectations and schema on recall.
Why does the “recall from a changed perspective” technique work?
It works by disrupting the influence of personal expectations and schemas, which can distort memory. Seeing the event from another perspective helps the witness recall more accurate details about the event.
What is the Enhanced Cognitive Interview?
The Enhanced Cognitive Interview includes additional features, such as avoiding interruptions, reducing witness anxiety, asking open-ended questions, and allowing the witness to control the flow of information. This reduces the risk of leading questions and improves recall.
What is a strength of the cognitive interview?
A strength is experimental evidence supporting its effectiveness. For example, Geiselman et al. (1985) found that officers using cognitive interviews obtained 12 more correct items of information than those using standard interviews.
What is a real-life example supporting the cognitive interview’s effectiveness?
Fisher et al. (1990) found that detectives trained in cognitive interviewing collected 63% more information than untrained officers using standard interviews, providing strong evidence for the technique’s effectiveness in real-life scenarios.
