Cognitive Interview Technique

Question 1

Who came up with this technique, after observing police interviews?

Answer 1

Geiselman

Question 2

What did he notice was wrong with the old interviews?

Answer 2

Leading questions
Frequent interruptions
Non-chronological
Very closed questions
Usually took place in a noisy place

Question 3

What’re the 4 stages of the CIT?

Answer 3

1) Context reinstatement
2) Report everything
3) Reverse order
4) Change perspective
1 & 2 provide cues
3 & 4 prevent schema

Question 4

What is “Context reinstatement”?

Answer 4

Mentally recreate the scene + emotions of the day
Aims to make memories accessible (gains emotional and contextual cues)

Question 5

What is “Report everything”?

Answer 5

Interviewer encourages recall of all details no matter apparent importance
Memories are all connected so the recall of one memory may lead to the recall of another one

Question 6

What is “Reverse order”?

Answer 6

Reversing the order avoids the effects of schemas, which are assumptions based on typical happenings in a situation
Schemas only affect stories happening in order, as you don’t have to consider the events as deeply as recalling backwards

Question 7

What is “Change perspective”?

Answer 7

May suggest other witnesses that need to be interviewed, or may lead to other memories being recalled

Question 8

What study criticised CIT?

Answer 8

Kohnken et al found that CIT provides more correct info, but also more incorrect info.

Question 9

What study claimed CIT was too complicated?

Answer 9

Milne + Bull found that only the first and second step of CIT were needed to gain the best results.

Question 10

What study found that CIT doesn’t work on children?

Answer 10

Geiselman found that children do not have “theory of mind”, so the 3rd and 4th steps are not possible for them.