Improving The Accuracy Of Eyewitness Testimony

Question 1

The Cognitive interview (CI)

Answer 1

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

Question 2

The Cognitive interview (CI) 4 techniques

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Report everything

Answer 3

Witnesses are encouraged to include every single detail of the event, even though it may seem irrelevant or the witness doesn’t feel confident about it. May trigger other important memories

Question 4

Reinstate the context

Answer 4

Imagine the environment and their emotions. Related to context dependant forgetting

Question 5

Reverse the order

Answer 5

Events should be recalled in a different order from the original sequence. Prevent people reporting their expectations of how the event must have happened rather than reporting the actual events.

Question 6

Change perspectives

Answer 6

Witnesses should recall the incident from other people’s perspectives Disrupt the effect of expectations and also the effect of schema on recall.

Question 7

The Enhanced Cognitive interview (ECI)- Fisher

Answer 7

• Developed additional elements of the CI to focus on the social dynamics of the interaction
• Eg. the interviewer needs to know when to establish eye contact and when to relinquish it
• Includes reducing eyewitness anxiety, minimising distractions, getting witnesses to speak slowly and asking open ended questions

Question 8

Evaluation points for the cognitive interview on improving the accuracy of eyewitness- Support for the effectiveness of CI

Answer 8

STRENGTH

CI produce 41% more accurate recall than standard interview

Question 9

Evaluation points for the cognitive interview on improving the accuracy of eyewitness- Some elements may be more useful

Answer 9

LIMITATION

Report everything and reinstate the context used together produced best recall

Question 10

Evaluation points for the cognitive interview on improving the accuracy of eyewitness- The CI is time consuming

Answer 10

LIMITATION

It takes longer and needs special training, full CI not realistic for police