Improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony: cognitive interview

Question 1

What do Fisher & Gieselman argue about eyewitness testimony?

Answer 1

• argued that EWT could be improved if police used better techniques when interviewing witnesses.

Question 2

What do Fisher & Gieselman recommend?

Answer 2

• techniques should be based on psychological insights - such as the cognitive interview

Question 3

What are the four main techniques used in the cognitive interview?

Answer 3

• report everything
• reinstate the context
• reverse the order
• change perspective

Question 4

explain report everything technique

Answer 4

• witnesses are encouraged to include every single detail of the event even trivial details

Question 5

Why is the reporting everything technique effective?

Answer 5

• trivial details may be important and may trigger other memories

Question 6

Explain reinstate the context technique

Answer 6

• witnesses should return to original crime scene ‘in their mind’
• imagine the environment and what their emotions were like

Question 7

Why is the reinstate the context technique effective?

Answer 7

• linked to context-dependent forgetting
• more likely to recall information if we are in environment where encoding took place

Question 8

Explain reverse the order technique

Answer 8

• events should be recalled in a different order from original sequence i.e. middle to beginning

Question 9

Why is the reverse the order technique effective?

Answer 9

• prevents people reporting their expectations of how the event happened
• also prevents dishonesty (harder to lie)

Question 10

Explain change the perspective technique

Answer 10

• Witnesses should recall the incident from other peoples perspective i.e. other witnesses or the perpetrator

Question 11

Why is the change the perspective technique effective?

Answer 11

• disrupts the effect of schema on recall (expectations of what happened in a particular setting)

Question 12

What additional elements did Fisher develop and why?

Answer 12

• The enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)
• developed to focus on the social dynamics of the interaction e.g.
  -interviewer needs to know when to maintain eye contact
  -reducing eyewitness anxiety
  -minimise distractions
• asking open-ended questions

Question 13

What research is there to support the effectiveness of the cognitive interview?

Answer 13

• evidence that it works
• Kohnken et al conducted a meta-analysis combining data from 55 studies comparing the CI with standard police interviews
• CI increased accuracy of information by 41% compared to standard police interview
• shows that the CI is an effective technique in helping witnesses to recall information

Question 14

What is a counterpoint for research support for the effectiveness of the CI?

Answer 14

• Kohnken also found an increase in the amount of inaccurate information recalled by P’s
• particular issue in ECI
• Cognitive interviews may sacrifice quality of EWT ( accuracy) in favour of quantity
• PO’s should treat EW evidence from CI/ECI’s with caution

Question 15

What is a limitation of the cognitive interview concerning some of its elements?

Answer 15

• not all elements of the CI are equally effective or useful
• Milne & Bull found that each of the four techniques used alone produced more info than the standard police interview
• A combo of ‘report everything’ & ‘reinstate the context’ produced better recall than any other elements
• cast some doubt on the credibility of the overall CI

Question 16

What is a limitation of the cognitive interview in terms of it being time consuming?

Answer 16

• police officers reluctant to use CI because it takes more time and training than a standard police interview
• e.g. more time needed to establish rapport with a witness & allow them to relax (specialist training)
• suggest the CI is not realistic method for PO’s to use
• police forces have taken ‘pick & mix’ approach