Fisher Et Al: Field Test Of The Cognitive Interview

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To study and test the cognitive interview in the field

Question 2

Method

Answer 2

Field experiment

Actual interviews, real witnesses and serving police detectives

Question 3

Participants

Answer 3

16 detectives from robbery division
(Dade county California)
Min 5 yrs serving

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

Phase 1: detectives record interviews using standard interview technique
4m 88 interviews

Detectives then divided into 2 groups, one group being trained in cognitive interview (4 60 min sessions)

7 detectives completed programme

Over next 7 months more interviews recorded and were analysed by a team at university California (blind to Conditions)

Question 5

Results

Answer 5

Trained detectives elicited 47% more info than before training

63 % more than untrained group

Cognitive interviews averagely 1 min longer

Question 6

Conclusions

Answer 6

Strong support for cognitive interview, obtained more info obtained from witnesses with no loss of accuracy and minimal increase in time

Result of lab and field had high agreement

Cognitive interview had since been applied to other clinical settings with therapists using it to develop medical histories

Question 7

Background

Answer 7

Cognitive interview designed to aid eyewitness recall of details of crimes

Two assumptions: possible to access memories from different retrieval points

Retrieval of memory more effective if context reinstated

4 main retrieval points:
Interview similarity: reinstate context(weather)
Focused retrieval: told to recall as much as possible
Extensive retrieval: interviewer makes attempts to retrieve memory from different entry points (what happened as you entered the building)
Witness comparable questioning: each witness will be different (values, perceptions)