Cognitive Interviews Flashcards
There is research supporting the cognitive interview as a way of improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
E - A meta-analysis of 53 studies found that on average the use of cognitive interview had an increase of 34% correct information given during EWT compared to the standard police interview (SPI).
E - This finding lends support to the claim that the cognitive interview is an effective way to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. This study’s use of meta-analysis strengthens its conclusions on the cognitive interview’s effectiveness in improving EWT accuracy. By combining 53 studies, it creates a larger, more representative sample, enhancing the generalizability of its findings to real-world applications of the cognitive interview. However, this study’s findings on the cognitive interview’s effectiveness are weakened by inconsistencies in standard police interviews (SPI), as varying interview styles create confounding variables. This makes it unclear whether the 34% increase in correct information is due to the cognitive interview or other factors.
limitation of the cognitive interview as a way of improving eyewitness testimony is that it has been difficult to implement
E - The main issue is time. The cognitive interview requires significant time is dedicated to training officers in administering it. It also takes longer to conduct than the standard interview, due to the many techniques involved
E – These issues mean that in practice it has been difficult to actually use the cognitive interview in real-life situations involving eyewitness testimony. The extra time involved places high demands on the resources of police departments. The cognitive interview may therefore be a good theoretical tool for improving eyewitness testimony, but unless it is easy to implement, then it won’t be able to help investigators.
L – Therefore, the cognitive interview may be a good theoretical tool for improving eyewitness testimony, but unless it is easy to implement, then it won’t be able to help investigators.
cognitive interview has had mixed success with different age groups.
E - Some research has found that when using the cognitive interview with very young children under the age of 6, recall of events was slightly less accurate, possibly due to the complexity of the instructions provided as part of the cognitive Interview. Other research has revealed that the cognitive interview was especially effective for the elderly.
E – To some extent, this research challenges the effectiveness of the cognitive interview as a way of improving the accuracy of EWT, as it shows that it isn’t effective for all age groups (e.g., the very young). On the other hand, these findings demonstrate the cognitive interview is highly effective for other age groups, like the elderly.
L - Ultimately this suggests that police departments need to use the cognitive interview in a targeted way, rather than assuming it will improve the accuracy of everyone’s EWT.
