Improving eyewitness testimony: the cognitive interview Flashcards
What is a cognitive interview?
A method used by police to help eyewitnesses recall information more accurately using psychological techniques, encouraging them to recreate the context
It helps improve memory without asking leading questions.
Who developed the cognitive interviewing technique?
Geiselman et al (1984)
What four components is the cognitive interview broken down into?
1) mental reinstatement of original context
2) report everything
3) change order
4) change perspective
What is mental reinstatement of original context? And what is its aim?
Interviewer encourages interviewee to mentally recreate both the physical and psychological environment of original incident
Aims to make memories accessible with appropriate contextual and emotional cues
What is the technique of report everything and what does it aim to do?
Report every detail of event without editing anything out, even if it may seem irrelevant
Aim is to gather small details as recollection of one item may act as a cue for another which can piece together a clear picture of the event
What is the changing order technique and what does it aim to do?
Interviewer asks questions in a different timeline to event e.g. reversing order
Rationale is that our recollections are influenced by schemas and changing the order reduces this
What is the changing perspectives techniques and what is its aim?
Interviewee is asked to recall the incident from multiple perspectives
This is done to disrupt the effect that schemas have on recall
Why is supporting research such a strength of the cognitive interview?
Köhnken et al: A meta-analysis of 53 studies found average an increase of 34% in the amount of correct information generated in the CI with standard interviewing techniques (however most of these studies were on volunteer witnesses tested in a lab)
Milne & Bull: combination of CI techniques lead to significantly higher recall
Demonstrates the effectiveness of the technique
What evidence is there that CI may decrease quality of info gained?
Köhnken et al: the procedure aims to enhance the quantity of correct recall without compromising quality HOWEVER they found an 81% increase of correct information but also a 61% increase of incorrect information - shows police need to treat all information collected from CIs with caution
What is a problem with CI in practice?
Kebbell & Wagstaff - technique requires a lot of training + time than is often unavailable, thus prefer to use deliberate strategies aimed to limit and eyewitness report to the minimum amount of info
