Improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony:Cognitive interview

Question 1

+

The cogntive interview(fisher & geiselman)

Answer 1

Proposed cognitive interview-Method for interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories
it uses 4 main techniques

Question 2

1 mental reinstatement

Answer 2

The witness should return to original crime scene ‘in mind’ & imagine the enviroment & emotions (like the weather,what they see) they experienced

Question 3

2 Report everything

Answer 3

Witnesses are encouraged to include every single details of event

Question 4

3.Reverse the order

Answer 4

Events recalled in a diff order from original sequence e.g from the final point back to the beginning
This is done to prevent people from reporting their expectations of how the event must have happended rather than reporting actual events
It also prevents dishonesty

Question 5

4.change perspectives

Answer 5

Witnesses should recall incident from other peoples perspectives e.g how it would have appeared to other witnesses
This prevents effect of forming expectation of what happended & effect of schema on recall

the schema you have for setting generates expectation of what happened

Question 6

What is the enhanced cognitive interview(ECI)

Answer 6

Fisher et al developed additional elements of CI to focus on social dynamics of interaction.
e.g interview needs to know when to establish eye contact
ECI includes ideas such as reducing eyewitness anxiety,minimising distractions& asking open ended Qs

Question 7

A03

Supporting evidence for CI-Kohnken et al-meta analysis

Strength

Answer 7

strength of cognitive interview is evidence that it works.
e.g meta-analysis by Kohnken combined data from 55 studies comparing CI with ECI & standard police interview
The CI have an average 41% increase in accurate info compared with standard interview
Shows CI is an effective technique in helping witnesses recall info

Question 8

A03

The CI is time consuming

Limitation

Answer 8

Limitation is that police officers may be reluctant to uce CI because it takes more time & training than standard interview
e.g more time is needed to establish rapport with witness
CI requires special training & many forces do not have resources to provide more than few hours
Suggests that complete CI-is not realistic method for police officers to use

Question 9

A03

some elements of CI more useful than others

Answer 9

Bull found that each 4 techniques used alone produced more info than standard police interview
But also found when using report everything & reinstate context -produced better recall than other elements or combinations of them
This confimred police officers suspicions that some aspects of CI are more useful than others
-CI lacks credibility