Improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony: the cognitive interview Flashcards
What is the cognitive interview and what does it aim to do?
Police technique for interviewing witnesses of a crime. Encourages them to recreate original context of a crime to increase accessibility of stored information. Uses multiple retrieval strategies.
What are the 4 stages of the cognitive interview, as developed by Geiselman et al?
- Mental reinstatement of original context
- Report everything
- Change order
- Change perspective
What does the mental reinstatement of original context look to achieve?
Mental reinstatement of both physical and psychological environment of the original incident. Should access memories by providing contextual and emotional cues.
What may an interviewer ask during the mental reinstatement of original context stage?
Think about that day… what had you been doing… what was the weather like… picture in your head all the objects that were there… how did you feel?
What is involved in the report everything stage?
Interviewer encourages reporting of every detail of the event, without omission of anything, even if deemed insignificant. ‘I am interested in absolutely everything…’
How does the report everything stage try to improve EWT?
Memories interconnected - recollection of one insignificant item may cue multitude of other useful memories.
What is involved in the change order stage?
Alternative ways through the timeline e.g. in reverse. ‘Tell me what happened backwards…’
What does the change order state look to achieve?
Remove influence of schemas. Recalling chronologically means expectations can influence memories - reversal prevents this.
What is involved in the change perspective stage?
Interviewee asked to recall from multiple different perspectives e.g. bystander.
What does the change perspective stage look to achieve?
Disrupt effect of schemas on recall.
(AO3) Describe supporting evidence for the cognitive interview.
Geiselman study - 2 groups of 8 detectives used either the cognitive interview or the standard police interview (recorded). CI technique abstracted 41% more correct details. CI was also less likely to produce incorrect details.
(AO3) Identify strengths and weaknesses of the experimental design used in the research evidence for the CI.
Independent groups. Strengths: will not have guessed aim of study, no order effects (could have had big impact here).
Weaknesses: Small sample size, so normal weaknesses of independent groups are more likely and or/have a greater effect - participant variables e.g. random higher IQ. Also, different interviewers, who also may have been biased due to the study.
(AO3) What are the issues with using the cognitive interview in practice?
- Police suggest it takes more time than may be available. Prefer to use more deliberate, direct interview to obtain minimum amount of info that is necessary.
- Special training required, needs more funding, which many forces haven’t been able to provide.
(AO3) What is an important strength of the cognitive interview when used?
Mitigates effects of individual differences - age. Stereotypes about elderly’s memory makes them overly cautious with their account. CI’s stress on every detail regardless of significance removes this effect. CI therefore increases info obtained by even more in elderly.
