Cognitive interview

Question 1

What is a cognitive interview?

Answer 1

A method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories

Question 2

What are the four main techniques used in a cognitive interview?

Answer 2

Report everything, Reinstate the context, Reverse the order and Change perspective

Question 3

Who was it that argued that eyewitness testimony could be improved?

Answer 3

Ronald Fisher and Edward Geiselman (1992)

Question 4

Report everything

Answer 4

Witnesses are encouraged to include every single detail of the event, even if it seems irrelevant. Trivial details may be important or may trigger other memories

Question 5

Reinstate the context

Answer 5

The witness should return to the crime scene in their mind and imagine the environment and emotions. This is related to context dependent forgetting

Question 6

Reverse the order

Answer 6

Events should be recalled in a different order to the original sequence. This is done to prevent people reporting their expectations rather than their experiences. It also prevents dishonesty

Question 7

Change perspective

Answer 7

Witnesses should recall the incident from other people’s perspectives. (Other witnesses or the perpetrator) Done to disrupt the effect of expectation and schema on recall

Question 8

Who developed the enhanced cognitive interview

Answer 8

Fisher et al (1987)

Question 9

What are some examples of the enhanced cognitive interview?

Answer 9

Eye contact, reducing eyewitness anxiety, minimising distractions, getting the witness to speak slowly, and asking open ended questions