Cognitive Interviews

Question 1

Who developed the cognitive interview?

Answer 1

Geiselman et al

Question 2

What is the cognitive interview?

Answer 2

A structured interview using four stages/techniques for a more effective method for police investigations

Question 3

What is the purpose of the cognitive interview?

Answer 3

To try and open up as many memory pathways as possible

Question 4

What are the 4 stages of the cognitive interview?

Answer 4

1. CR: Context reinstatement
2. RE: Report everything
3. CP: Changed perspective
4. RO: Reverse order

Question 5

What is context reinstatement?

Answer 5

Mentally reinstate the context. Recall the scene, the weather, what you were thinking, feeling and the preceding events

Question 6

What is report everything?

Answer 6

Report every detail you can recall even if it seems unimportant

Question 7

What is change perspective?

Answer 7

Try to describe episode as it would have been seen form different viewpoints, not just your own

Question 8

What is reverse order?

Answer 8

Report episode in several different temporal orders moving backward and forwards in time

Question 9

What are 3 evaluation points of the CI?

Answer 9

• Takes more time then standard police interview/ need special training
• Effective: more consistent than standard
• Recall of incorrect information mag. be increased

Question 10

What did Gieselman do?

Answer 10

89 witnesses shown a film of a stimulated violent crime, pps then interviewed 48 hours later by an experienced LA police officer. Analysed and compared statements produced by witnesses in one of three conditions

Question 11

What were the 3 conditions?

Answer 11

1. Cognitive interview
2. Standard police interview
3. Interview using hypnosis

Question 12

What were the findings of Gieselman’s study?

Answer 12

Average number of correct statements produced as a result of CIs was 41.1 compare to 29.4 for standard police interviews and 38% for hypnsis