2.4.3 Cognitive interview Flashcards
What is the cognitive interview?
The cognitive interview (CI) is a method of interviewing eyewitnesses about what they can recall from a crime scene or event.
Which 4 techniques does the CI use?
/Recall everything
/Reinstate context
/Change the perspective
/Change the order
Explain recall everything?
Witnesses are asked to recall as much detail as they can, however trivial it might seem. A seemingly unimportant detail may trigger a useful memory
Explain reinstate context?
The witness has to think about what was happening at the time of the event: Was it raining? What had they been doing? This is context-dependent recall which (see the section on retrieval failure) may enhance the accuracy of the memory
Explain change the persepective?
The witness is asked to view the event from someone else’s viewpoint e.g. the perpetrator, another witness. Changing the perspective should ensure that schemas are not activated so that preconceived ideas do not influence the memory
Explain change order?
Witnesses are asked to recall the event using different chronologies i.e. start at the end; start from the middle etc. Changing the order means witnesses cannot rely on schemas or prior knowledge to influence them
Research support for cognitive interview?
/Fisher (1999) - the CI was found to produce 46% more detail and was 90% accurate than standard police interviews
/Milne and Bull (2002) - found that ‘report everything’ and ‘reinstate the context’ are better at producing recall than the other two elements of the CI
Evaluation for research support for CI?
/Fisher (1999) - the CI requires specially trained officers to conduct it which makes it expensive plus it is more time-consuming than traditional methods
/Milne and Bull (2002) - these findings could be used to improve the CI even further which could help to shorten the process
