Improving accuracy of EWT ; Cognitive interview

Question 1

What is a cognitive interview ?

Answer 1

A method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories.

Question 2

What are the 4 main techniques used in CI ?

Answer 2

1.Report everything
2.Reinstate the context
3.Reverse the order
4.Change perspective

Question 3

What is report everything ? 1

Answer 3

-Witnesses are encouraged to include every single detail of the event.
-Even though it may be irrelevant , these details can trigger other important memories.

Question 4

What is reinstate the order ? 2

Answer 4

-The witness should return the original crime seen in their mind and imagine the environment (eg. weather,what they could hear ,see)
-Related to context dependant forgetting

Question 5

What is reverse the order ? 3

Answer 5

-Events should be recalled in a different chronological order to the original sequence.
Eg.finish to start or middle to beginning
-This is done to prevent people from reporting their expectations oh how the event must have happened rather than the actual events.
-It prevents dishonesty

Question 6

What is change perspective ? 4

Answer 6

-Witnesses recall the incident from other peoples perspective.
-Eg.how would have it appeared to other witnesses.This is done to disrupt the effect of expectations and schema’s.
-The schema may have particular settings and generate expectations of what would have happened and it is the schema that is recalled rather than what actually happened.

Question 7

What is the enhanced cognitive interview ? ECI

Answer 7

Fisher et al . developed some additional elements of the CI to focus on the social dynamics of the interaction.
Eg. the interviewer needs to know to establish the ye contact and when to reliquish it.

Question 8

How is the enhanced interview better ?

Answer 8

The enhanced CI also includes ideas such as reducing eyewitness anxiety , minimising distractions,getting the witness to speak slowly and asking open - ended questions