Improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony: The cognitive interview Flashcards
What is a cognitive interview?
A police technique used for interviewing witnesses to a crimeW
What are the 4 components of the cognitive interview?
Mental reinstatement, report everything, change order and change perspective
What is mental reinstatement?
Where the interviewee is encouraged mentally recreate the physical and psychological environment of the original incident
Why is mental reinstatement effective?
It makes memories accessible by unlocking contextual and emotional cues
What is report everything?
When the interviewee is encouraged to report every single irrelevant detail of the event
Why is report everything effective?
Because memories are interconnected and may act as cues
What is change order?
When the interviewee is asked to report the incident in a different order (e.g. backwards)
Why is change order effective?
It prevents your pre-existing schema from influencing your recall
What is change perspective?
When the interviewee is encouraged to recall the incident from the perspective of other individuals (e.g. bystanders)
Why is change perspective effective?
It prevents your pre-existing schema from influencing your recall
Why was the standard police interview problematic?
They asked leading questions
What are the 4 AO3 points of the cognitive interview?
1) Support for effectiveness
2) Quantity over quality
3) Real life problems
4) Individual differences
In the meta-analysis that looked at studies on the cognitive interview, how many studies were included?
53
In the meta-analysis that looked at studies on the cognitive interview, what was found?
That the CI increased the amount of correct information by 34% compared to the standard interview
What does the cognitive interview undesirably increase?
The amount of inaccurate information produced
What is the cognitive interview effective at increasing?
Quantity
What is the cognitive interview ineffective at increasing?
Quality
How much does the cognitive interview increase correct information by?
81%
How much does the cognitive interview increase incorrect information by?
63%
Why may the cognitive interview be impractical?
It is very time-consuming
Why is the cognitive interview not economical?
The interviewer has to be trained + paid for the interview
What do police officers prefer to the cognitive interview?
Using deliberate strategies aimed to gather the necessary information and reduce the time taken
Who is the cognitive interview most effective for?
Elderly people
Why is the cognitive interview most effective for elderly people?
Negative stereotypes about old people having declining memories can make them overly cautious when volunteering information
