Collection of Evidence (Cognitive)

Question 1

What is a standard interview?

Reference relevant research

Answer 1

This is when the police investigator is able to ask whatever he feels is relevant to the case with no specific technique in place.

Fisher et al. (1989) outlined a range of problems with this technique such as multiple interruptions and an over reliance on short answer questions meaning less detailed information is collected.

Brewer (2000)argued that this technique required little, to no training. The interviewers would be free to ask what ever they felt was relevant.

Question 2

Outline the stages of a cognitive interview

Answer 2

Stage 1 – Context reinstatement: witnesses are asked to recall emotions, surroundings, noise and smells of the crime.

Stage 2 – In depth reporting

Stage 3 –Narrative reordering

Stage 4 – Reporting from different perspectives: witnesses are asked to describe the event as others present may have seen it (as the victim, accused or other witnesses).

Question 3

Outline Fisher (1989) in relation to cognitive interviews

Answer 3

Fisher carried out a field experiment to test the use of cognitive interviews.

One group of detectives were trained to use cognitive interviewing whereas the other group had no training.

They found that 63% more information were recorded in the trained group compared to the untrained group.

Question 4

What is a enhanced cognitive interview?

Answer 4

This type of interview contains the same four techniques as CI but adds social aspects to the setting and procedure which appear to improve communication.

This includes ensuring that distractions are kept to a minimum, allowing pauses, and being as sensitive as possible to the needs of the interviewee.

The individual is also asked to use memory techniques such as imagery.

Question 5

Compare CI and ECI

Answer 5

The ECI takes longer to learn and requires more practice.

They are both time consuming to use fully in an investigation.

When used, both techniques often skip stages.

Question 6

Outline the aim of research by Memon and Higham (1999)

Answer 6

The authors attempt to identify exactly which component of the CI is the most effective component.

Question 7

What research method was used?

Answer 7

Review article which critics (reviews) the Cognitive Interview (CI).

Question 8

What were the 4 themes covered in the report?

Answer 8

How effective each of the components of the CI are.

Comparison with other interview methods (Guided Interview, Standard Police Interview, Structured Interview).

How to measure memory performance.

How training quality influences interviewer performance

Question 9

Outline the theme: How effective are cognitive interviews?

Answer 9

Memon and Highammake reference to their own piece of research where they found that there was no difference in the amount of info recalled when using one of the following techniques separately.

Geiselman and Callot (1990) found that it was more effective to recall in forward order once, followed by reverse order, than to make two attempts to recall from the beginning.

Question 10

Outline the theme: Comparison with other interview methods

Answer 10

Guided interview: The GMI and the CI draws upon principles of contextual reinstatement by encouraging the witness to mentally reconstruct the crime.

Structured interview: The sole difference between the SI and CI is the use of the cognitive techniques in the CI, the SI provides a reasonably good control

Question 11

Outline the theme: How to measure memory performance

Answer 11

Nearly all studies performance is measured in terms of the percentage of interview statements that are correct

A limitation of this is it ignores the amount of unreported information

Question 12

Outline the theme: How training quality influences interviewer performance

Answer 12

A criticism of early studies of the CI was that the amount and quality of training that interviewers were given was not specified.

Memon et al therefore make the following suggestions for training:
Interviewers should be given adequate training in CI techniques – a two day training programme is recommended
A possible strategy would be to direct training to a select group of officers.

Question 13

What were the conclusions from this research?

Answer 13

There is a need for further research investigating the particular effects the CI has on memory.

Further research is needed on how the various elements of the CI work.

Interviewers differ in their ability and motivation to conduct a good interview and this must be addressed in further research.

Question 14

What are two strategy to improve police interviews.

Answer 14

PEACE

Forensic Hypnosis

Question 15

Outline PEACE interviewing framework

Answer 15

Step 1: Planning and preparation: preparation may involve simply defining the purpose of the interview.

Step 2: Engage and explain: develop report and explain interview processes and procedures.

Step 3: Account – classification, challenge: after allowing the interviewee to begin ask the interviewee to: summarising, empathising, repeating questions to encourage different ways or repeated attempts to recall the same or related facts.

Step 4: Closure - ensuring that the interview ends well so that the witness is comfortable to speak again

Step 5: - Evaluation evaluate if the information gathered is everything that they needed.

Question 16

Outline forensic hypnosis

Answer 16

Hypnosis can be used to retrieve information that may not have been consciously available to a witness. Hypnosis is an artificially induced trance that resembles sleep.

Kalat (1993) reports that a hypnotised boy whose mother disappeared, reported that he had seen his father murder his mother and chop her body up. Some months later the mother returned home unharmed.