Chapter 2.9 - Improving EWT: Cognitive interview

Question 1

What is meant by cognitive interview

Answer 1

A method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories
- Four main techniques :

1. Report everything
2. Reinstate the context
3. Reverse the order
4. Change perspective

Question 2

Briefly describe the four techniques in the cognitive interview

Answer 2

1. Report everything - include every single detail of the event: trivial details may trigger important memories
2. Reinstate the context - return to the original crime scene and imagine the environment: context-dependent forgetting
3. Reverse the order - recalled in a different order from the original sequence, prevents reporting their expectations of how the event must have happened
4. Change perspective - recall from other’s perspectives: disrupts the effect of expectations and schema

Question 3

What is the enhanced cognitive interview?

Answer 3

• Additional elements of the CO to focus on the social dynamics of the interaction
• Eye contact and when to relinquish it
• Reducing eyewitness anxiety, minimising distractions, speaking slowly, open-ended questions

Question 4

What is a strength of the cognitive interview? (support for its effectiveness)

Answer 4

• Meta analysis in 1999 combined data from 55 studies comparing the (E)CI with the standard police interview
• CI = average 41% increase in accurate information compared with the standard interview
• 4/55 showed no difference
• CI is an effective technique in helping witnesses to recall information that is not immediately accessible in their memory

Question 5

What is a counterpoint of the cognitive interview? (support for its effectiveness)

Answer 5

• Increase in the amount of inaccurate information recalled by participants
• Issue in the ECI which produced more incorrect details than the CI
• CI may sacrifice the quality of EWT in favour of quantity, amount of details>accuracy
• Police should be cautious when treating with EWE from (E)CI’s

Question 6

What is a limitation of the cognitive interview? (some elements may be more useful)

Answer 6

• Milne and Bull in 2002 found that each of the four techniques produced more information than the standard police interview
• Report everything and reinstate the context produced better recall than any of the other elements or combinations of them
• Confirmed suspicions that some aspects of the CI are more useful than others
• Doubt on the credibility of the overall cognitive interview

Question 7

What is a limitation of the cognitive interview? (time-consuming)

Answer 7

• Reluctant to use the CI since it takes more time and training than the standard police interview
• More time is needed to establish rapport with a witness and allow them to relax
• Also requires special training and many forced do not have the resources to provide more than a few hours
• The complete CI is not a realistic method for police officers to use and it might be better to focus on a few key elements

Question 8

What is another evaluation of the cognitive interview? (variations)

Answer 8

• Forces have taken a ‘pick and mix’ approach to the various techniques in the CI
• Hard to compare the effectiveness of different approaches in research studies
• ‘pick and mix’ approach is more flexible: individuals can develop their own approach according to what works best for them