cognitive interview focus therys

Question 1

Weapon focus:
What it is

Answer 1

weapon focus is a situation where a weapon that creates anxiety attracts the attention and focus of eyewitnesses, leading to reduced recall of other details of the incident by eyewitnesses.

Question 2

Weapon focus
The relationship between anxiety and EWT

Answer 2

: weapon focus shows that anxiety has a negative relationship with eyewitness testimony. It causes eyewitness testimony to be inaccurate

Question 3

Tunnel theory:
What it is

Answer 3

: tunnel theory suggests that attention is narrowed to central events/one aspect of the scene (like tunnel vision), reducing the recall of other details

Question 4

Tunnel theory: The relationship is shows between anxiety and EWT

Answer 4

again, this shows a negative relationship between anxiety and EWT.

Question 5

Fight or flight response:
What it is

Answer 5

: psychological arousal in the body that can improve memory of the scenario as we are more likely to remember cues in the event

Question 5

Fight or flight response:
What it is

Answer 5

: psychological arousal in the body that can improve memory of the scenario as we are more likely to remember cues in the event

Question 6

The relationship it shows between anxiety and EWT
Fight or flight response

Answer 6

The relationship it shows between anxiety and EWT: shows a positive relationship.

Question 7

Yerkes-Dodson-Law:
What it is

Answer 7

the relationship between memory and anxiety is an inverted U shape. Moderate stress is associated with optimum performance, while high/low levels of stress are associated with poor performance.

Question 8

The relationship it shows between anxiety and EWT
Yerkes-Dodson-Law

Answer 8

The relationship it shows between anxiety and EWT: it explains why some studies show a positive relationship and others show a negative relationship

Question 9

Instead, we should these types of techniques:

Answer 9

• Extensive retrieval: witnesses are encouraged to report everything that they remember, regardless of perceived relevance.
• Event-interview similarity: by reinstating the context of the scene (sights, sounds, emotions etc.).
• Focused retrieval: make sure there are no interruptions.
• Witness-compatible questions: flexibility of technique to match needs of the witness.
• Chronological order and reverse order.

Question 10

Cognitive interview: research

Answer 10

• Geiselman et al. (1985) found CI produced more accurate memories than standard police interview.
• Geiselman & Fisher (1997) found CI works best in a short time following a crime.
• Kohnken et al. (1999) found that the amount of detail declined the longer a CI was done after an event.
• Milne & Bull (2002) found the ‘report everything’ and context reinstatement of CI to be key to getting accurate recall.

Question 11

Enhanced Cognitive Interview Improving the accuracy of EWT

Answer 11

ECI seeks to build a trusting relationship between interviewer and witness and improve quality of communication.

Question 12

Evaluation: CI is time consuming

Answer 12

Police may be reluctant to use CI because it makes more time than the standard police interview.

CI required special training, and forces may not be able to fully train their officers (Kebbel and Wagstaff 1996)

Question 13

• Extensive retrieval

Answer 13

witnesses are encouraged to report everything that they remember, regardless of perceived relevance.

Question 14

• Event-interview similarity

Answer 14

by reinstating the context of the scene (sights, sounds, emotions etc.).

Question 15

• Focused retrieval

Answer 15

: make sure there are no interruptions

Question 16

• Witness-compatible questions

Answer 16

flexibility of technique to match needs of the witness.

Question 17

• Chronological

Answer 17

• Chronological order and reverse order.